French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have criticised world leaders and other officials for attending the Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday, May 9, 2025. This is reported by Politico, reports UNN.
Details
According to the publication, Donald Tusk said that the presence of world leaders and other officials, as well as their applause for Russian President Vladimir Putin after his speech about the so-called Nazi cleansing in Ukraine, was a "disgrace". Those present, he said, "refuse to see the truth".
The Polish Prime Minister also reminded that the event welcomed Russian soldiers who would then go on to "bomb cities, schools and hospitals" in Ukraine.
Emmanuel Macron stressed that such a show of support for Russia is contrary to modern Western values.
I'm not sure [attending the parade] was the best decision on May 9 and not the best decision in the 21st century.
At the same time, he rejected attempts to pit Moscow and Brussels against each other as two forces allegedly vying for hegemony in Europe.
"Many people compare Moscow and Brussels - I've heard that... But Moscow is a capital that was imposed, while Brussels is a capital that was freely chosen through our treaties," Macron noted.
Let us remind you
On Friday, May 9, a military parade took place on Red Square in Moscow. The parade was attended by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and leaders of nearly 30 countries, including China, Brazil, Venezuela, Slovakia, Serbia, Armenia, Mongolia, Cuba, Tajikistan and Belarus.
The President of Serbia and the Prime Minister of Slovakia held a fraternal meeting in Moscow, where they discussed important issues. Both politicians arrived on the eve of the May 9 parade, despite EU warnings.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed a demarche to the heads of diplomatic missions of countries whose leaders were at the parade in Moscow. The presence at the parade is regarded as an unfriendly step, support for Russia's aggression.