Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs protests countries whose leaders attended Moscow parade

First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Serhiy Kyslytsya, stated that against the backdrop of Russia's aggression, mass killings of Ukrainians, strikes on civilian infrastructure, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, Ukraine considers the participation of high-ranking foreign officials in the parade in Russia as an unfriendly step.

"The Ukrainian side underscored the significant contribution of the Ukrainian people, together with other nations of the anti-Hitler coalition and the former USSR, to the victory over Nazism 80 years ago. Ukraine will not allow Russia to hijack the memory of the past, appropriate the collective victory, or diminish the decisive role played by the Ukrainian people," the statement reads.

Kyslytsya also reminded that Russia continues to reject attempts to restore peace and has not accepted the US proposal for a complete and unconditional ceasefire for 30 days, which Ukraine supported on March 11. He also emphasized that Moscow is violating its own declared ceasefire by continuing daily attacks on Ukrainian positions along the entire front line.

"Presence of high-rank officials of certain states in the Kremlin-organized events have nothing in common with honoring the memory of the victims and heroes of World War II. On the contrary, it constitutes a desecration of that memory and an endorsement of the current aggressiin in Europe, Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded.

May 9 in Moscow

Over 20 countries sent representatives to the military parade in Moscow. Among them were China, Brazil, Belarus, Slovakia, Serbia, Vietnam, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Venezuela, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Zimbabwe, the Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, and Burkina Faso.

Specifically, from Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico attended the event in Moscow. This drew criticism from the EU's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, who remarked that Fico is on the wrong side of history."

"I would say that all those who are supporting freedom, independence, all the European values should today, on the European Day, be in Ukraine rather than in Moscow. And I can tell standing side by side with the guy who has started this war with all these unnecessary deaths, with all these people suffering... Innocent people. How can you stand side by side with this guy (Putin - ed.)? You're (referring to Fico - ed.) on the wrong side of history," she added.