Ukraine seeks to undermine Russia’s 9 May celebrations with event for EU politicians
The Ukrainian government is planning to hold an event on 9 May to undermine Russia’s official celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, Politico reports. The event is aimed at showing “our unity and determination in the face of the greatest aggression in Europe since World War II”, according to Andrei Sibiga, the Ukrainian foreign minister. The event will take place in the western part of the country, away from Moscow, to show that Europe is “there, in Ukraine and not with Putin in Moscow”, according to Radosław Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is planning to hold a summit in May, attended by countries that are willing to send troops to Ukraine as part of a potential ceasefire, known as the “Willful Coalition”. The summit is expected to include several European heads of state and government, including the newly elected German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, according to two sources. Russia will be holding its annual parade on 9 May on Red Square and more than 20 foreign heads of state are expected to attend, including Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, Aleksandar Vučić, the Serbian president, Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister and Robert Fico, the Slovakian prime minister. Ukraine has been trying to distance itself from its neighbour and erase its Soviet heritage by moving its official commemoration of World War II to 8 May and calling 9 May the “European Day”. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov criticized the Ukrainian plans: “The fact that Zelenskyy does not want to celebrate Victory Day on 9 May alone shows at least a lack of respect for the memory of his own grandfather. It once again shows that this regime cannot bear such days as May 9. It confirms once again that the Russian side is right and that President Putin does what needs to be done.
EU Leaders to Skip Russia’s Victory Day Parade
