Russia’s show of military might in WWII anniversary parade as Putin warns west he ‘will protect national interests’
VLADIMIR Putin vowed today to defend Russia against threats from the West at a celebration to mark the end of Second World War.
Under grey skies, the Kremlin leader hailed the achievements of the Soviet Union in defeating Nazism at the vast Red Square military parade commemorating the 76th anniversary since the end of the war.
Further straining relations is Russia's large military build-up on its border with Ukraine and the ailing health of imprisoned Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny.
Speaking on Russian state television in April, Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed Putin and Biden were talking about meeting in June.
It comes after Biden proposed to Putin earlier this month that they hold a summit in a neutral country to help "normalise" relations between Moscow and Washington.
Acting British Deputy Ambassador Julia Crouch attended Victory Day for the British embassy, mirroring the US who sent Bart Gorman, the deputy chief of mission.
The three Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all ex-Soviet countries now in the EU and NATO - boycotted the military parade.
Many other EU states were represented by their ambassadors.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said that dignitaries had not been invited this year as it was not as big an occasion as the 75th anniversary.
But an EU source indicated that this was spin designed to minimise a potential “snub”.
“Presence at the level of an ambassador is always the lowest official representation possible, so this is also a sign," said the source.
"This is a snub for the Russians.
“Although they will try to present it as EU member states attending.”
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Tajik President Emomali Rahmonappeared to be the sole foreign leader attending.
Similar parades were held in major cities around Russia.