President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday marched on the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II by pushing a referendum that would allow the coronavirus epidemic to rule until May 2036.
The outbreak of the virus had to delay the annual May 9 Victory Day celebrations in Moscow's Red Square, this year with 14,000 soldiers and weapons, including tanks, air-defense systems, and nuclear-missile launchers, as well as a flypast. Russia's Air Force. Due to the constant threat from Covid-19, many of the invited leaders have turned away.
"We will always remember that the Soviet people suppressed Nazism," Putin said in a speech. "We can't imagine what the world would be like if the Red Army didn't come to its rescue."
The memory of what is known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War, which killed 27 million civilians of the Soviet Union, is traditionally the chance to rip the country apart. It was the week before the July 1 referendum on constitutional changes backed by the Kremlin. Among them is a measure that would allow Putin to obtain a two- and six-year term, his fourth, which expires in 2024.
Putin, 67, said the changes already approved by the Russian parliament and the Constitutional Court would only be implemented if more people supported the referendum. While there is little doubt that the Kremlin will endorse the measures, officials are keen to have more votes.
So many invitations
Putin paid special attention to this year's anniversary, inviting the leaders of the Western War Allies to join Moscow and even endorse Russia for the conquest of Ukraine's Crimea Huh. On May 9, French President Emmanuel Macron accepted Putin's invitation before implementing Russia's plans.
Although Putin says Russia has surpassed the peak of the epidemic, the country is still reporting more than 7,000 new infections, but new cases in Moscow have dropped by about 800 in recent days. Approximately 30 cities halted plans to show local WWII parades or a limited audience, posing risks to public health.
The parade was attended by just 10 foreign leaders, mostly heads of former Soviet countries as well as the broken Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Serbian President Alexander Vuà°•్ià°¯్à°¯ was in attendance. Croatian President Zoran Milanovic canceled last-minute plans after Russia's news service tested two members of his delegation in a positive test of Russia's news service RIA Genebkov, and Kyrgyz President Surobai. Novosti reported.
Printed response
Leaders from China, France, Israel, Japan and the Czech Republic are among those to come. Amid the ongoing conflict over Crimea and the Kremlin-backed separatists war in eastern Ukraine, Russia did not welcome Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelinsky.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobayanin advised residents of the capital to stay at home to watch the parade, but they did not restrict the crowd from the streets. The Russian military held large-scale rehearsals to commemorate.
At the stand in Red Square, invited guests sit separately from one another to reduce the risk of any infection. These measures do not apply to VIPs, including foreign dignitaries sitting close to Putin in the parade. The 80 veterans elected to join the Russian leader spent 14 days alone in a resort outside Moscow, protecting themselves from being infected with life-threatening pathogens.
None of the thousands of soldiers marching in Red Square were wearing masks.
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