Xi Jinping to attend Putin’s May 9 parade
Photo: Xi Jinping will join Putin at the parade (Getty Images)
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Moscow for the celebration of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. The parade will take place on May 9, Reuters reports.
"Chinese President Xi Jinping has accepted an invitation to take part in the celebrations on May 9 in Moscow on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War," said Russia's Ambassador to China Igor Morgulov.
Russia's Ambassador also reported that Xi Jinping, in return, invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to China for the commemoration of the end of World War Two, which is scheduled for September.
In December, the Kremlin announced that it had invited "many countries" to participate in the 80th anniversary celebrations of the end of the war, which in Russia is referred to as the "Great Patriotic War."
Victory day
Ukraine previously celebrated Victory Day over Nazism in World War Two, 1939-1945, on May 9. However, in 2023, changes were made, and the holiday was moved, as it is on this day that most nations around the world commemorate the victory over Nazism. It was on May 8, 1945, that the act of unconditional surrender of the German Third Reich came into effect.
In Russia, May 9 remains the central day of the official cult of "victory."
In Ukraine, the attitude towards Victory Day has undergone significant changes. It is now one of the two least popular holidays.
Moscow entered World War Two on the side of Nazi Germany in 1939. However, in June 1941, Hitler attacked the USSR (the Soviet Union).
Hostile China
Beijing has provided diplomatic and economic support to Russia since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In September 2024, Jens Stoltenberg, who was serving as NATO Secretary General, stated that China had become a key factor contributing to Russia’s war against Ukraine. "China is the one that enables the production of many of the weapons that Russia uses," Stoltenberg said.
According to a survey by the Razumkov Center, most Ukrainians consider China a hostile country. Ukrainians have a worse view only of Russia and its allies - Iran, Belarus, and North Korea.
