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Putin more "lonely" than ever? Moscow's allies abandon Victory Day parade, here's who's attending and who's not
2026-05-08 16:58:24 / BOTA
For Russian President Vladimir Putin, Victory Day is arguably the most important public holiday of the year. But this time, even Russia's former allies are staying away, leaving the Kremlin alone in its much scaled-down celebration.
The Victory Day parade in Moscow is slowly but surely turning into a small, intimate celebration, rather than the grand demonstration of Russia's military might it once was.
Not only will the Victory Day parade on Saturday not include military vehicles or cadets due to what the Kremlin described as the "current operational situation," but there will also be almost no guests in Moscow.
So who are the few people who will attend the parade on May 9, despite the security risks from Ukraine and the reputational damage with or without possible attacks from Kiev?
From American presidents to occupying authorities installed by Moscow
When Russia's ties with the West strengthened after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, many Western leaders participated in Victory Day celebrations.
In 1995, US President Bill Clinton, UK Prime Minister John Major and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien were among the guests.
US President George W. Bush attended the Victory Day parade in 2005 along with the leaders of France, Germany and other heads of state, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in Red Square for the 2010 parade.
But the Kremlin's ties with the West have been strained since Russia's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and Moscow's initial invasion of Ukraine, when Western leaders stopped appearing at the event.
With Moscow's all-out war in early 2022, the guest list became even shorter, and in recent years, the list of those who came to the parade was much shorter than those who did not come.
The 2026 list of participants, published by the Russian Foreign Ministry, is the shortest in Moscow's modern history.
Among those expected in Red Square on Saturday are just two international leaders: Laos' President Thongloun Sisoulith and Malaysia's Supreme Ruler Sultan Ibrahim.
The Kremlin is insisting that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will also be present, even after Fico himself confirmed that he plans not to attend the parade during his visit to Moscow.
Slovakia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Rastislav Chovanec, confirmed that Fico would not attend the parade and said he could use the opportunity to convey messages from Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Vladimir Putin.
For the Kremlin, this represents a scenario that is perhaps even worse: seeing the European leader, whom it believed it could rely on, deliver a message from the Ukrainian president.
Among those who have no realistic chance of skipping the parade are Russia's occupying authorities, appointed by Moscow to run the territories that Russia had occupied.
These guests can hardly be considered "outsiders" or even "leaders."
Badra Gunba of the Republic of Abkhazia and Alan Gagloyev of South Ossetia confirmed their presence.
Moscow gained full control over Abkhazia and South Ossetia after invading Georgia in 2008 and has maintained a military presence in both regions ever since.
Both are officially recognized as integral parts of Georgia and together represent 20% of Georgia's internationally recognized territory.
Belarus' strongman, Aleksandr Lukashenko, will also be there, as he does every year.
Lukashenko has never missed a Victory Day parade, or indeed any other occasion to meet with Putin. His status as a “foreign leader” is also quite dubious.
Neither the EU nor the US recognize Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus, but that never stopped Putin's most trusted ally from taking the stage on May 9.
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