Jordan Daily – Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attempting to intimidate foreign leaders attending Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany.
Putin said Ukraine escalated attacks during a Russian-declared ceasefire, including drone strikes and five attempted ground incursions into Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod regions.
“The Kiev authorities not only rejected our proposal for a ceasefire, but also, as we all saw, they tried to intimidate the leaders of states gathered for the celebrations in Moscow,” Putin told journalists early Sunday.
Despite what Putin described as threats from Kiev and Western pressure, dozens of leaders from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and parts of Europe attended the event. He praised their presence as a show of “moral courage in defying blackmail and ultimatums.”
“And who tried to intimidate them? Those who salute and applaud former SS soldiers,” he added, accusing Kyiv of glorifying Nazi collaborators.
Among the 28 leaders present were those from China, Brazil, Egypt, Venezuela, Cuba, Belarus, and several former Soviet states. Putin singled out Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico for resisting EU pressure to stay away.
