Now, both countries will defend the legacy of their wartime efforts against all critics. After a meeting with Xi, Putin emphasized that Russia and China suffered the heaviest casualties during the war and made great contributions to the eventual victory. Get the Newsletterįor both Putin and Xi, standing together in remembrance of Victory Day marked another salvo in the battle over historical credit for the Allied victory. Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific. In a speech at the parade, Putin noted that China was “the main front in the fight against militarism in Asia.” China, Putin said, “just like the Soviet Union, lost many millions of people in this war.”Īs expected, Putin also confirmed his plans to attend China’s own end-of-WWII military parade, to be held September 3 in Beijing. Putin also made a point of particularly noting China’s contributions to the war effort. He and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were seated to Putin’s right during the parade. Still, Xi was clearly the guest of honor. The parade itself was also international, with soldiers from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, India, Mongolia, Serbia, and China all taking part. As Katie Putz noted for The Diplomat, top leaders from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan were all present, as were the presidents of India and Vietnam. However, Xi was far from the only foreign leader in attendance. With Western leaders from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States choosing not to attend, Xi and Putin’s solidarity was a clear sign of Russia and China’s growing convergence. Watching the event alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin was China’s president, Xi Jinping. The grand parade, complete with bombers and fighter jets flying overhead, was held to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Germany’s surrender to the Allied powers. On May 9, tanks, troops, missile launchers, and even cavalry filled Moscow’s Red Square, in what RT called the largest military parade in Russian or Soviet history since World War II.

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