[54030] President of Russia hosted foreign leaders in Moscow to mark the 81st Victory Day

Moscow Victory Day Parade: Putin hosts leaders amid international tensions

On May 9, 2026, Russia marked the 81st anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II with an official ceremony in Moscow. According to reports on the Mash channel, the ceremony included a military parade and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexander Garden, attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders from several countries.

Among the participants in the ceremony and the reception held at the Kremlin, notable figures included President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, leader of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, and the ruler of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim. In addition, representatives from Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina also participated, as detailed on the BFM channel.

Vladimir Putin thanked the leaders who arrived in Moscow, calling their decision to come an "expression of courage" and a sign of "special relations and brotherhood," according to the Пул N3 channel. Putin emphasized that in Russia, they "have never divided the victory into ours and theirs," according to a report by the Rossiyskaya Gazeta channel, while calling for a fight against attempts to falsify the history of World War II.

While channels affiliated with the Russian establishment such as СОЛОВЬЁВ emphasized the brotherhood of nations and the historical importance of the event, independent and critical channels on Telegram, including the Zone AP channel, presented an opposing narrative. This channel claimed that the number of leaders who attended had "shrunk by three times" compared to previous years, and described the parade as an event intended to demonstrate political stability despite difficulties in the international arena.