Western leaders boycott Russian VE parade

Tanks, troops and aircraft were all on show in Russia’s Red Square today, in remembrance of the millions who fought and died against the Nazis during world war two.

Although western leaders stayed away from the event, many other leaders joined President Putin on the Kremlin’s walls, including United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

China’s President, Xi Jinping was also present and watched a column of Chinese troops join the parade, outlining the growing ties between Russia and China.

The leaders of America, Britain, France and Germany were not present. However they will attend a wreath-laying ceremony in Moscow on Sunday.

“Victory day is the most important holiday for Russia. In practically every Russian family, someone has died fighting for this country,” said 43-year-old former marine Alexander Smolkin.

“My own grandfather died defending Russia, this is our day to remember them.”

President Putin is suggesting other countries have attempted to play down Moscow’s role in winning the war.

“The basic principles of international cooperation have been ignored more often in the last decades – the principles which were hard won by humankind following the global hardships of the war,” he told rows of soldiers standing to attention.

“We’ve seen attempts to create a unipolar world,” he said, echoing a 2007 speech when he lambasted the west’s world view.

It is estimated 27 million Soviet citizens were killed in world war two, including 10 million deaths in the military services. It is believed there were nearly 8 million German military and civilian casualties in the war.