Overview

• Russia marked the 80th anniversary of WWII Victory Day with its largest military parade since the Ukraine invasion, featuring 11,000 troops and advanced weaponry, including drones and modern tanks.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping attended as a key guest, with Chinese troops marching alongside Russian forces, underscoring the deepening Sino-Russian partnership against Western influence.
• President Putin used the event to equate Russia’s Ukraine campaign with the Soviet fight against Nazism, declaring a three-day unilateral ceasefire widely criticized by Kyiv as a political maneuver.
• Both Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating the ceasefire, with reports of continued attacks on frontline positions and civilian areas during the truce period.
• In Lviv, nearly 20 European foreign ministers backed the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders for aggression, while the U.S. and allies pushed for a 30-day ceasefire proposal.