MOSCOW (AP) 鈥� Russia on Friday celebrated the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, as President Vladimir Putin presided over a of tanks, missiles and troops through Red Square and welcomed over two dozen world leaders 鈥� the most since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.
Victory Day, which Russia marks , is the country鈥檚 most The parade and other festivities underline Moscow鈥檚 efforts to project its global power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the that is grinding through a fourth year.
Friday鈥檚 parade was the largest since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and drew the most global leaders to Moscow in a decade, including high-profile guests like Chinese President Xi Jinping, who sat next to Putin, and Brazilian President Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva. Their attendance underscored how Putin has tried to emphasize the failure of the West to turn Russia into a global pariah.
鈥淚t鈥檚 again showing that Russia is not isolated, that Russia is seen as a very legitimate victorious nation that is among victors in World War II,鈥� said Alexander Gabuev, director of Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
"Russia is standing tall among the so-called global majority,鈥� Gabuev said, adding that the attendance of Slovakia鈥檚 Prime Minister Robert Fico showed that 鈥淩ussia has allies even within the Western camp鈥� and marked a major public relations victory for Putin.
is a rare event in the nation鈥檚 divisive history under Communist rule that is revered by all political groups, and the Kremlin has used that sentiment to encourage national pride and underline Russia鈥檚 position as a global power.
The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in what it calls the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche.
Addressing the crowd in Red Square, Putin praised Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, saying that 鈥渨e are proud of their courage and determination, their spiritual force that always has brought us victory.鈥�
Putin, who has ruled Russia for 25 years, has turned Victory Day into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to use it to justify his action in Ukraine.
For Putin, Victory Day celebrations have become "a civic religion that boosts patriotism, nationalism, nostalgia, and justifies both his repressive regime at home and Russia鈥檚 increasingly expansionist foreign policy abroad, particularly including towards its neighbors,鈥� Gabuev said.
The parade featured over 11,500 troops and more than 180 military vehicles, including tanks, armored infantry vehicles and artillery used on the battlefield in Ukraine. As a reminder of Russia's nuclear might, huge Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles launchers rolled across Red Square. Also among the weaponry on display were drones carried on military trucks, a tribute to their pivotal role in the conflict.
Fighter jets of Russian air force's aerobatic teams flew by in close formation, followed by jets that trailed smoke in the colors of the national flag.
Afterward, Putin shook hands with Russian generals who led the troops onto Red Square and spoke to medal-bedecked senior North Korean officers who watched the parade, hugging one of them.
Last month, Putin for fighting alongside Russian troops against Ukrainian forces and hailed their sacrifices as Pyongyang confirmed for the first time.
The Russian and North Korean statements emphasized their , especially after Russia said its troops have fully reclaimed , parts of which Ukrainian forces seized last year. Ukraine denied the Russian claim.
After the parade, Putin hosted foreign leaders at a Kremlin reception. He also sat down with Lula, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Serbia鈥檚 President Aleksandar Vucic for bilateral meetings.
Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump exchanged 鈥渨arm words鈥� and 鈥渃ongratulations on the occasion of our common holiday鈥� through their aides, the Russian leader's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told state Channel One TV.
Victory Day festivities this year were overshadowed by targeting Moscow and severe disruptions at the capital鈥檚 airports. Aeroflot on Wednesday canceled more than 100 flights to and from Moscow, and delayed over 140 others as the military repelled Ukrainian drone attacks on the capital.
Russian authorities tightened security ahead of the parade and cellphone internet outages were reported amid electronic countermeasures aimed at foiling more potential drone attacks.
Military parades and other festivities were also held in scores of other cities across Russia amid tight security. As a historic tribute, Putin's hometown of St. Petersburg symbolically regained its Soviet-era name of Leningrad for a day Friday and Volgograd temporarily reverted to Stalingrad, as it was known during World War II. In the evening, massive fireworks lit the sky in cities in the Far East and Siberia, with Moscow to follow.
Putin had declared a starting May 7 to coincide with the Victory Day celebrations, but warned that Russian troops would retaliate to any attacks. Moscow has been reluctant to accept a U.S.-proposed 30-day truce that Ukraine has accepted, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies to Ukraine and Kyiv鈥檚 mobilization effort, conditions Ukraine and its Western allies have rejected.
Ukrainian authorities reported scores of Russian strikes Friday that killed at least two people in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions and damaged buildings. A Russian drone also struck a civilian vehicle in Zaporizhzhia, critically injuring a man and also wounding his wife.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday said Kyiv's forces continued operations against Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, as well as conducting shelling and drone strikes on the battlefield. It also accused Ukraine of four attempted cross-border attacks into Russia's Belgorod and Kursk regions.
As the parade and other festivities unfolded in Moscow, dozens of European officials met in Lviv, in western Ukraine, to endorse the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian officials accused of war crimes.
鈥淩ussia needs to feel our common and, most importantly, growing strength,鈥� Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, addressing the Lviv meeting. He emphasized the need for Russia to be held accountable, adding that 鈥渢his is the moral duty of Europe and of everyone in the world who values human life.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 sure that this tribunal will allow for the fight against impunity against all war crimes that have been committed during this war of aggression of Russia against Ukraine,鈥� said French Foreign Minister Jean-No毛l Barrot.
Russian authorities have fiercely denied allegations of war crimes. Asked about the tribunal on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow "will not be reacting to this.鈥�
Barrot also said European allies have agreed on another package of sanctions against Russia.
Standing alongside top Ukrainian government officials in Lviv, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the tribunal's launch will mean that 鈥渘obody can be left unpunished for the crimes committed."
Most of Europe marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II .
The Associated Press
