EU diplomat urges boycott of Moscow's Victory Day parade
The EU's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has spoken on the subject of the Russian Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. She advised EU partners to refrain from participating in the ceremonies organised by Vladimir Putin. However, that's not the entire story.
What do you need to know?
- Kaja Kallas, the EU's chief diplomat, has voiced opposition to the involvement of EU candidate countries in the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow.
- On 9 May, a military parade is scheduled to take place in Moscow, marking the 80th anniversary of the USSR's victory over Nazi Germany.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky intends to organise a meeting in Kyiv on this day for leaders who support Ukraine.
Why shouldn't EU candidate countries attend the celebrations?
Kaja Kallas, after a meeting of EU foreign ministers, also cautioned countries aspiring to join the European Union against sending their representatives to Moscow for the Russian Victory Day ceremonies.
"We made it very clear that we do not want any candidate country to participate in these events on the 9th of May in Moscow," said Kallas. She stressed that the potential participation of current EU member states in this event will be closely monitored as well.
Who will participate in the celebrations in Moscow?
The expected participants for the Moscow celebrations include, among others, China's leader Xi Jinping, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. Serbia is one of the nine countries striving to join the EU, alongside Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to organise a meeting in Kyiv for the leaders of the "coalition of the willing," which comprises countries that support Ukraine, particularly in the context of peace negotiations. One of the primary objectives of this coalition is to provide military support to Ukraine in the event of a potential ceasefire.
