According to the Russian ambassador, Brazil’s president has accepted Vladimir Putin’s invitation to the May 9 Victory Day event.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the President of Brazil, has accepted Russia’s invitation to participate in the 80th-anniversary celebrations of the World War II victory, according to the Russian ambassador to Brazil.
Aleksey Labetsky told TASS on Tuesday that President Vladimir Putin extended the invitation to Lula to attend this year’s Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, which commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over fascism.
“The invitation was accepted,” Labetsky stated, adding that both countries are now coordinating the details of the trip.
The ambassador noted that Brazil was the only Latin American nation to actively engage in World War II combat, with its expeditionary force fighting alongside Allied forces in Italy during 1944-45.
Labetsky emphasized the significance of the upcoming meeting between Putin and Lula, stating that it would influence the development of bilateral relations, cooperation within BRICS, and broader political discussions on a global scale.
Moscow has invited leaders of “friendly nations” to participate in the commemorations. Russia considers the 1945 victory a symbol of national strength, as the USSR suffered approximately 26.6 million casualties during World War II, known as the Great Patriotic War in post-Soviet countries.
Putin announced last week that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Moscow for the parade as part of a full state visit. Xi has also invited Putin to attend China’s World War II commemorations in early September.
Several foreign leaders have already confirmed their attendance, including Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may also attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow, although official confirmation is pending.
Other world leaders reportedly planning to attend the Moscow celebrations include Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, Vietnamese President To Lam, and Burkina Faso’s interim leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore.
“`