Victory Day Parade in 2025: who will come to Moscow on May 9th

In 2025, May 9 marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War (WWII). The Victory Anniversary parade will be held on Red Square in Moscow. Many world leaders and official representatives have been invited to the event in the Russian capital. Who will come to Moscow on May 9 — tell Izvestia.

In addition, on the occasion of the anniversary of Izvestia, a special project "80 days to Victory" was launched. It publishes articles published during the war, the full list of which can be found in the electronic archive. A virtual museum dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory has also been created, featuring photographs of the war years and war heroes. Now you can see them, including on media facades in different cities of Russia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Moscow in conjunction with Victory Day on May 9. This was announced on February 10 by Russian Ambassador to China Igor Morgulov.

"This is also such a good tradition in our relations. Chinese President Xi Jinping accepted an invitation to take part in the celebrations on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow on May 9," he said on the Rossiya 24 TV channel.

In turn, Russian Leader Vladimir Putin will visit China in time for the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japanese militarism in late August and early September, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced on February 19.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Russia is awaiting the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Moscow to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. This was announced on April 8 by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko.

"[The issue] is being worked out, it should be this year. He has an invitation," Rudenko said, according to TASS.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

The Brazilian President confirmed on March 29 that he plans to come to the Victory Day celebrations. This was stated by Luis Inacio Lula da Silva during a press conference that was broadcast on the social network X.

"I plan to come to Russia on May 9 to take part in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II," he said.

Lula da Silva also noted that during his visit he plans to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Brazilian leader stressed that he intends to discuss the issue of a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic

Serbian leader Alexander Vucic, in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, confirmed that he would come to Moscow to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Victory.

In addition, he will send a unit to participate in the parade, the Kremlin's press service reports.

Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico

The Slovak Prime Minister was one of the first to accept an official invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the Victory Day celebrations.

As he stated on the social network Facebook (owned by Meta, recognized as an extremist organization and banned in Russia), the peoples of the former USSR played an indispensable role in defeating fascism and winning the Second World War.

"The citizens of the Slovak Republic celebrate with respect and reverence all the anniversaries and events related to the liberation of our territory by the Red Army in 1944-1945, as well as with the help provided by the former Soviet Union to the SNP (Slovak National Party. — Ed.)," said the Slovak Prime Minister.

He pointed out that the Slovak government appreciates the legacy of the struggle against fascism and Nazism, the historical truth about the Second World War and the role played by the Red Army in it.

"I am pleased to accept the official invitation of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, to take part in these important celebrations, which I will do," Fico said.

President of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik

The President of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, will arrive in Moscow for the Victory Day Parade on May 9. As the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic Nenad Stevandic clarified, Serbs and Russians are connected by a common culture, history and the struggle against fascism.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko

According to tradition, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko will arrive in Russia on May 9th. In addition, Belarusian military formations can be seen on the paving stones of Red Square.

According to Vladimir Putin, he expects Belarusian artists to participate in the international music competition "Intervision".

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also confirmed plans to visit Moscow in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Victory.

As the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova recalled, hundreds of thousands of representatives of the peoples of Azerbaijan heroically took part in all significant operations of the Great Patriotic War, about half of them did not return from the front.

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

The Russian side is waiting for the arrival of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Moscow on the occasion of Victory Day celebrations on May 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on April 10.

"Indeed, this is a special year, an anniversary year in many ways. We are waiting for Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, at the celebrations on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of our common Victory," he told TASS.

Prior to that, Tokayev, during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, said he planned to come to Moscow on May 9 and hoped to meet with Putin during the visit.

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov also confirmed his presence at the celebration on May 9. In this regard, the festive events in the republic will even be postponed a day earlier — on May 8.

More than 360,000 people left Kyrgyzstan for the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. A third of them did not return home, 72 people were awarded the title of Heroes of the Soviet Union, some of them twice. Victory Day is a public holiday in the Republic.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev

On April 7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan confirmed information about the visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Moscow on May 9.

Earlier in the day, the Uzbek president's visit to Russia on May 9 was announced by his press secretary Sherzod Asadov. According to him, this trip was discussed at Mirziyoyev's meeting with Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko.

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon

The leader of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, confirmed his participation in events in Moscow on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. At the same time, it is known that Russian military formations will take part in the celebration of Victory Day in Tajikistan.

The leaders of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly and Serdar Berdimuhamedov

Russia traditionally expects the visits of Turkmenistan's national leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on May 9.

President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro

Russia is also expecting the visit of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

"During a video conversation between the presidents of Russia and Venezuela on March 14, 2025, Vladimir Putin personally invited Nicolas Maduro to attend events in honor of the Great Victory in Moscow. President Maduro, in turn, has repeatedly expressed a desire to pay tribute to the great feat of the Soviet people in the fight against fascism and Nazism. Moscow, of course, will be happy to receive the Venezuelan delegation at the festive events," the Russian diplomatic mission said.

President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has accepted an invitation from Russian Leader Vladimir Putin to participate in the May 9 celebrations in Moscow. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"We are actively preparing for the visit of the President of the Republic of Cuba, Comrade Diaz-Canel. We appreciate that he accepted the invitation of Russian President Putin to take part in the celebrations on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory," Lavrov said.

The Russian diplomat noted that Diaz-Canel's visit almost coincides in time with another anniversary date, the 65th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations between Russia and Cuba.

President of Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traore

President of Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traore also accepted the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to come to Moscow to celebrate Victory Day. This was announced on April 3 by Sergey Lavrov at a meeting with his counterpart from Burkina Faso, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore.

"We are grateful to President Traore for his agreement to accept President Putin's invitation to participate in events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War," Lavrov said.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam

In April, it became known that the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Toh Lam, would visit Moscow to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Victory at the invitation of Vladimir Putin.

He will not only take part in commemorative events, but also discuss key areas of bilateral cooperation. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son.

President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh

Moscow expects that the President of Mongolia, Uhnaagiin Khurelsukh, will take part in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. This was stated to Izvestia by Russian Ambassador to Ulaanbaatar Alexey Evsikov.

"We expect to see the head of the Mongolian state on May 9, 2025 on Red Square in Moscow among the honored guests. We also hope to continue the glorious tradition of sending boxes of Mongolian soldiers to participate in the festive parade," the diplomat said.

He recalled that Mongolia had made a significant contribution to defeating the enemy. In particular, Mongolian citizens formed aid groups for the Red Army. Among them were those who voluntarily joined the ranks of the Red Army to fight the invaders.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed in March that he would visit Russia for the 80th anniversary of Victory Day celebrations. He first announced his intention back in October last year.

"Mahmoud Abbas expressed the hope that he would come to Russia," Abdel Hafiz Noval, the Palestinian ambassador to Moscow, was quoted as saying at the time.

Israeli Ambassador Simone Halperin

Simona Halperin, the Ambassador to Russia, will represent Israel at the celebrations on May 9. This was stated by the acting ambassador of the country, Alexander Ben Zvi, in an interview with TASS.

"We must not forget that May 9th is an official date in Israel. We are one of the few states apart from the CIS countries where May 9th is Victory Day. <...> We have it very clearly," he said.

Alexander Ben Zvi noted that in the Jewish state, where many veterans of the Great Patriotic War live, parades and the Immortal Regiment campaign are actively held.

Will US President Donald Trump attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow?

It is not yet known whether US President Donald Trump will come to Moscow to celebrate Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War. This was announced on February 13 at a briefing by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

He noted that during the telephone conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the American leader touched upon this topic, but so far there is no specific understanding on this matter.

Earlier it became known that the CIS countries will celebrate the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War together. This was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in October 2024 during a speech at the summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

"In 2025, we will jointly celebrate the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. It will be a Year of peace and unity in the fight against Nazism in the Commonwealth countries," the head of state said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added that anyone who wants to come to the celebration will be welcome in the capital.