Putin's guest list dwindles for Moscow's Victory Day parade
The number of countries whose heads of state will attend the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow is decreasing. The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has joined the large group. Vladimir Putin's officials do not hide their irritation about this. They consider such behaviour "unfortunate."
The Russians are preparing for the Victory Day celebrations, which will take place on 9 May. A traditional military parade will march through Moscow to commemorate the victory in the Second World War.
As every year, Vladimir Putin wants to use the event for propaganda purposes. He has invited politicians from around the world who are neutral or positive towards him.
Initially, representatives from Pakistan, leaders of India, South Africa, and Indonesia, as well as top representatives from Iran, were to participate in the celebrations. The participation of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was also not ruled out, as well as the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
However, the number of guests for Vladimir Putin is decreasing significantly. Orban will definitely not appear in Moscow. Representatives from Pakistan have completely withdrawn their delegation. India, South Africa, and Indonesia will be represented by ministers, and Iran will send an ambassador.
Azerbaijan has also withdrawn its delegation. Aliyev has already officially confirmed that he will not participate in the Victory Day celebrations. This has upset Vladimir Putin's officials.
Commenting on the Azerbaijani delegation’s withdrawal, one of the Russian leader’s advisers described the decision as regrettable and noted that, given factors such as Aliyev Senior's legacy, participation in the celebrations would have been appropriate.
Read also: The President of China flies to Russia. An expert believes it's a signal for Europe and the USA
The father of Ilham Aliyev was an officer in the NKVD and one of the important officials in the USSR from 1940 to 1987. In 1993, he became the first president of Azerbaijan.
