
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host a lavish World War II Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday, an event the Kremlin hopes will rally patriotism at home and project strength abroad as its troops fight in Ukraine.
More than 20 foreign dignitaries including China's Xi Jinping and Slovakia's Robert Fico are scheduled to attend the annual parade this year, the fourth since Moscow launched a full-scale military assault on its neighbour in February 2022.