PM Modi will not attend Russia’s Victory Parade, Defense Minister will lead

Moscow. Russia confirmed on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not attend the victory day celebrations to be held in Moscow on 9 May. Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov said during media briefing, “India’s leaders will not come… India will be represented, but not at highlayal.” Peskov also informed that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Moscow.

Speaking to the media in Moscow, a Kremlin spokesperson said, “Xi Jinping will have a separate tour, which we give great importance and are preparing for it.” He said that a large number of foreign representatives along with Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in the 80th anniversary of Vijay Day.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that Prime Minister Modi had received an invitation to attend the ceremony. However, Russian media claimed that Defense Minister Rajnath Singh could attend the ceremony to be held next month. Russia’s official news agency Tas quoted the sources of the Government of India as saying that “Singh is possible to come to Moscow for the parade.”

The report also indicated that negotiations on the participation of a formal contingent of the Indian armed forces in the parade on Red Square are also going on. Victory Day is celebrated every year on 9 May in Russia. On this day, Victory Day Parade is organized in Moscow. It is one of Russia’s most important state celebrations, which is celebrated in memory of the victory of the Soviet army over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. This year holds special significance as it is the 80th anniversary of the end of war in Europe.

Putin had earlier invited Prime Minister Modi to attend the ceremony to be held in Moscow on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of victory in the great patriotic war in May 2020. Earlier, Kremlin’s associate Yuri Ushakov had confirmed that the Russian President is expected to come to India in early 2025 at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi.

The yatra will be as part of the commitment to annual meetings between the two leaders. The Russian President’s previous visit to India took place on 6 December 2021 during the 21st India-Russia annual summit in New Delhi. Meanwhile, PM Modi launched two high-profile trips to Russia last year, attended the 22nd Russia-India summit in July and later attended the BRICS summit held in Kazan in October.