Three World Leaders Head to Moscow for Victory Day Parade

(MENAFN) Three foreign heads of state are set to attend Russia's annual Victory Day military parade at Red Square on May 9, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirmed Thursday — as Moscow prepares a scaled-back but ceremonially rich commemoration of the Soviet Union's triumph in World War II.

Speaking at a briefing in Moscow, Ushakov identified the attending leaders as the president of Laos, Malaysia's king, and Slovakia's prime minister. He noted that, in contrast to last year's landmark anniversary, Russia chose not to issue formal invitations this time around — yet multiple foreign leaders volunteered to come.

"Last year, a large group of foreign leaders attended the parade because the celebrations were a jubilee," he said.

The ceremony will include marching formations, an aerial flyover, and a public address by President Vladimir Putin. One notable departure from prior years: military hardware will not be on display.

"Everything will be as usual, except for the display of military equipment (which was cancelled)," he noted.

Beyond the parade itself, Ushakov said incoming dignitaries will engage in formal bilateral discussions with Russian officials. The day's itinerary begins with an official welcome at the Kremlin, followed by the procession to Red Square.

"On the morning of May 9, an official welcoming ceremony for the foreign guests will take place, the president will escort them to Red Square, they will watch the parade and, as is tradition, lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," he said.

A Kremlin reception hosted by Putin will follow, alongside one-on-one meetings with select leaders — most notably Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Slovak media outlets, however, have reported that Fico may skip the parade itself, attending only the bilateral meeting with Putin and the wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

"We plan to hold a number of bilateral meetings with those representatives who will arrive in Moscow," Ushakov said. "Negotiations will take place with the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico."

On the eve of the commemoration, Putin is scheduled to sit down with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for an informal dinner Friday evening, with bilateral relations topping the agenda. The Russian leader will also receive a delegation from Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina — a group that has made the Moscow trip a regular tradition during Victory Day.

A private audience with Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim is also on the schedule. Ushakov disclosed that the monarch specifically requested a closed, one-on-one session — a format the Kremlin readily accepted.

"I note that the Sultan requested that this meeting take place in a tete-a-tete format, and we, naturally, agreed to this proposal. Our president and the King of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim, met quite recently, on January 26, in St. Petersburg," Ushakov said.

Ushakov confirmed that Putin's international engagements will conclude on May 9, with no foreign meetings scheduled for the following day.

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