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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Russia celebrates WWII Victory Day; allies missing

Carol J. Williams Los Angeles Times

MOSCOW – Russia paraded its troops and armor in Red Square before decorated veterans and a depleted audience of world leaders in a Victory Day ceremony boycotted by Russia’s World War II allies.

The parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany included 16,000 troops, nearly 200 tanks and armored vehicles, and a flyover by more than 140 aircraft.

In remarks to the thousands of guests and assembled forces, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the courage and sacrifice of Soviet troops in defeating the Nazis, an effort that cost more than 20 million Soviet lives. He also paid tribute to “the people of Great Britain, France and the United States for their contribution to the victory.”

Putin accused Russia’s wartime allies, though, of lately neglecting their roles as defenders of world peace.

“In recent decades, the basic principles of international cooperation have been ignored ever more frequently,” he said. “We see how a military bloc mentality is gaining momentum.”

Putin has justified his aggressive moves in Ukraine with assertions that Russia needs to defend itself against NATO encroachment and what he contends is a U.S.-led plot to oust him from power.

The Russian military used the parade to unveil the prototype of its new Armata T-14 tank, with a 125 mm cannon and sturdier armor than the T-72 on which Russian forces have relied for decades.

What was missing at the annual display of fighting power were the Western allies who have previously come to Moscow to mark their shared triumph over the Nazis on landmark anniversaries. The United States, Britain and France were joined by most European leaders in snubbing the Red Square events in protest of Russia’s seizure last year of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and backing for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

During the 2005 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the war’s end, 53 heads of state attended, including President George W. Bush and nearly all European leaders.

News agencies reported that about 20 heads of state from among the 68 invited took part in the event commemorating the World War II victory, including those from China, India, Vietnam, Cuba, Venezuela, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon was in the official reviewing stand in front of Lenin’s Tomb, as were Czech President Milos Zeman and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was the de facto guest of honor, seated with his wife to the right of Putin. Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the longest-serving former Soviet republic leader in attendance, was also among the honored guests.

Xi arrived in Moscow on Friday for meetings with Putin and other Kremlin officials to sign the first of a raft of trade and economic cooperation agreements expected during his visit that runs through today.

Putin planned to meet with other leaders during their visits, the Sputnik news agency reported.