Xi Jinping, Steven Seagal attend Putin’s WWII anniversary parade

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin “exchanged congratulations” as they marked the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII with Moscow hosting a slew of world leaders and even Hollywood stars.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin exchanged pleasantries as the WWII allies celebrated the 80th anniversary of the end of the global conflict.

“Through their aides, the Russian president and President Trump exchanged congratulations on the occasion of our common celebration,” Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told Russian state media.

Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend the Victory Day military parade at Red Square in central Moscow. Picture: AFP

Steven Seagal arrives for the parade in Moscow. Picture: AP Photo

US filmmaker Oliver Stone is greeted by Putin during a festive reception for foreign leaders. Picture: AFP

It came as Russia held its Victory Day parade on Friday, a grand showcase of military hardware in front of foreign guests in the midst of Moscow’s offensive on Ukraine.

Moscow showed off a fleet of new tanks, Iskander missiles and, for the first time, attack drones – the kind of which it sends in waves to target Ukraine on a near daily basis.

An array of foreign leaders attended, and the parade even saw Chinese troops march on Russia’s most famous square.

Putin used his short speech to assure that victory was approaching in Ukraine.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands and talk of peace is high on the agenda amid Mr Trump’s attempts to end the fighting.

Foreign leaders joined Putin for the celebration. Picture: AFP

It was a clear day in the iconic Moscow square. Picture: AFP

“The whole country, society and people support the participants of the special military operation,” Putin said.

“We are proud of their bravery and determination, of the fortitude that has always brought us only victory,” he added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was the guest of honour with other foreign dignitaries in attendance including Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, Cuba’s Miguel Diaz-Canel, Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko and

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Steven Seagal, the US actor and longtime friend of Putin who has received Russian citizenship was there as was American director Oliver Stone.

After the ceremony, Putin came down from the stands to the square, where he shook hands with troops who had fought in Ukraine.

Putin meets with North Korean servicemen on Red Square. Picture: AFP

He also hugged and greeted commanders from North Korea – which has become one of Russia’s main allies, sending thousands of troops to help Moscow oust Ukrainian forces from its Kursk region.

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TRUMP PRESSES RUSSIA TO ACCEPT CEASEFIRE

Donald Trump has pressed Russia to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire with Ukraine, with any breaches punishable by sanctions.

President Trump renewed the pitch for a truce after speaking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has moved to shore up his relationship with the US administration after a bitter White House clash on February 28.

“Talks with Russia/Ukraine continue. The US calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire,” Mr Trump said on his Truth Social network after speaking to Mr Zelensky.

“If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pays respects to the fallen at a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Picture: AFP

Mr Trump said that “both countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations” to halt the conflict that started when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Mr Zelensky quickly pressed the Russians to accept, saying it must “prove their willingness to end the war.”

“Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire starting right now, from this very moment — a 30-day silence. But it must be real. No missile or drone strikes, no hundreds of assaults on the front,” Mr Zelensky wrote on social media.

Ukraine in March embraced the US proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire but it was brushed aside by Russia, which sees itself as gaining an upper hand on the battlefield as US assistance to Kyiv dries up under Trump.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a three-day ceasefire the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II before launching another attack on Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin for his part ordered a three-day ceasefire for Thursday’s 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, for which Moscow threw a vast military parade attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Ukraine dismissed the ceasefire as theatrics and said that Russia had broken its own order after just a few hours.

“When has Russia ever kept its promises?” said Anatoly Pavlovych, 73, in Kyiv.

Mr Trump said Thursday he wanted lasting peace.

“It can all be done very quickly, and I will be available on a moment’s notice if my services are needed,” he wrote.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly warned that the United States could drop its efforts and move on to other issues without progress.

Mr Trump heads next week to Saudi Arabia, which has served as a venue for separate US talks with Russia and Ukraine.

President Trump speaks with reporters in front of the West Wing of the White House on Thursday in Washington. Picture: AP

Asked by reporters if he could hold a surprise meeting with Mr Putin in Saudi Arabia, Mr Trump said: “I don’t think so but we’re having very good conversations. Very, very good.”

Mr Zelensky has sought to remove perceptions that he is an obstacle to peace after Mr Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated him at the White House meeting as allegedly ungrateful for the billions of dollars in US aid under former president Joe Biden.

Ukraine’s parliament on Thursday ratified a minerals deal with the United States that Mr Zelensky had meant to sign in the ill-fated White House meeting.

The deal, which spells out joint development of Ukraine’s natural resources and minerals used in high technology, does not include any security guarantees from Washington.

But the Trump administration argues that boosting its business interests in Ukraine will itself act as a bulwark against Russia.

BOMBS DROPPED AS PUTIN BREAKS HIS OWN CEASEFIRE

Bombs have rained down in Ukraine just hours after a three-day truce had officially started, a ceasefire that Russia had called for.

Ukraine reported the strikes on its northeastern region of Sumy on Thursday morning, as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order for a three-day truce with Ukraine was supposed to take effect, a proposal Ukraine dismissed as theatrics.

Mr Putin decided to impose his own three-day ceasefire to coincide with Russia’s Victory Day parade which takes place on Friday.

“As of 8am, no missile attacks or attack drones were recorded in Ukrainian airspace. However, during the night, the enemy intensified tactical aviation strikes using guided aerial bombs in the Sumy region,” Ukraine’s air force said.

A rescue worker helps an injured elderly woman evacuated from a building which was heavily damaged by a Russian strike in Sumy region, Ukraine. Picture: Ukrainian Emergency Service / AP

A strike hit a residential area near Bilopillya, a village close to the border between Sumy and Russia’s Kursk region, the emergency services said.

Rescuers freed a woman trapped under rubble, they added.

The head of Ukraine’s disinformation countering centre, Andriy Kovalenko, claimed Russia was “violating the ceasefire by attacking the Sumy region.”

VANCE SLAMS RUSSIA OVER TRUCE STALLING

It comes as JD Vance accused Russia of “asking for too much” while playing host to a European security conference.

The US Vice President spoke at the Munich Security Conference event in Washington where he urged direct talks between the warring nations.

“The first peace offer that the Russians put on the table, our reaction to it was, you’re asking for too much – but this is how negotiations unfold,” Mr Vance said.

“Right now, the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much.

“It’s very important for the Russians and the Ukrainians to start talking to one another. We think that is the next big step that we would like to take.”

Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks to the Munich Leaders Meeting, hosted by the Munich Security Conference, at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC. Picture: Getty

Mr Vance said there was a “big gulf” between what Ukraine and Russia wanted.

“We think the next step in the negotiation is to try to close that gulf,” he said.

“We think it’s probably impossible for us to mediate this entirely without at least some direct negotiation between the two, so that’s what we focus on.”

The Vice President conceded US proposed 30-day ceasefire was not going to be agreed to by Russia in its current form.

“What the Russians have said is, a 30-day ceasefire is not in our strategic interest,” he said. “So we’ve tried to move beyond the obsession with a 30-day ceasefire and more on what would the long-term settlement look like … We think that if cool heads prevail here, we can bring this thing to a durable peace that will be economically beneficial for both the Ukrainians and the Russians, and most importantly, will stop the destruction of human lives.”

UKRAINE SHUTS RUSSIAN AIRPORTS WITH DRONE STRIKES

More than a dozen Russian airports had to restrict their traffic due to drone attacks by Ukraine overnight, including in Moscow days before a planned military parade.

A total of 19 drones were downed around the Russian capital, where several world leaders are expected to attend a parade and address by President Vladimir Putin on May 9 as part of World War II anniversary celebrations, authorities said.

Flight restrictions were introduced at four airports in Moscow, Russian news agencies reported, citing the Federal Air Transport Agency — though traffic at the city’s main Sheremetyevo airport remained largely unaffected.

Airports were also affected in other cities including Volgograd and Nizhny Novgorod.

In a post on Telegram, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said debris had fallen on a major avenue in southern Moscow but there was “no damage or casualties” in the city.

Russian media broadcast images of a cracked supermarket window and a blackened residential building facade.

Russian army servicemen march to attend a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade at the Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St. Petersburg, Russia. Picture: AP

The governors of Voronezh and Penza reported that 18 and 10 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted in their regions respectively, without causing any casualties.

In the Kursk region, acting governor Alexander Khinshtein said an attack was carried out on an electrical substation in the city of Rylsk late Monday, injuring two teenagers.

“As a result of the attack on the city, two transformers were damaged, and the power was completely cut off,” he said on Telegram.

– with AFP

Originally published as Xi Jinping, Steven Seagal attend Putin’s WWII anniversary parade