Who will go to Putin's "Victory Day parade" and how safe is Moscow?

Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine cannot guarantee the safety of foreign officials planning to attend Russia's Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday.

"Our position is very simple for all countries traveling to Russia on May 9: we cannot bear responsibility for what happens on the territory of the Russian Federation," the Ukrainian president said on Saturday.

"They are responsible for your safety. We will not offer any guarantees, because we do not know what Russia may do on those dates."

The statement caused further diplomatic tensions with Slovakia, whose Moscow-friendly prime minister, Robert Fico, criticized Zelensky's warning. Euronews, the Telegraph reports.

"… I fully respect that the safety of the participants is an internal matter of the Russian Federation. But if Mr. Zelensky believes that his statements will force foreign delegations not to come, then he is deeply mistaken," Fico said.

However, it is not clear whether Fico will participate in the parade.

After the Slovak prime minister canceled several public appearances, there has been speculation that he may not even appear in Moscow.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who had also planned to visit Moscow together with Fico, fell ill during a visit to the United States last week, cutting short his trip and returning to Belgrade, where he was briefly hospitalized.

Fico and Vucic were the only European leaders to announce their participation in the “Russian Victory Day parade,” a decision that sparked harsh criticism from the European Union.

In Vucic's case, Brussels issued a stern warning, indicating that the visit would violate EU membership criteria and potentially damage Serbia's accession process to the 27-member bloc.

European politicians may be absent, but Moscow's most valuable ally and perhaps the most important guest will be present, the Euronews article says, according to the Telegraph.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay an official visit to Russia from May 7 to 10 to participate in celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Kremlin said on Sunday.

How safe will the parade be?

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine between May 7 and 9, around Victory Day celebrations.

The idea was categorically rejected by Kiev, with Zelensky calling it a "theatrical performance" designed to ease Russia's international isolation and create a favorable atmosphere for Victory Day celebrations in Moscow.

Zelensky reportedly said the proposal was not a serious attempt to end the war and reiterated Ukraine's support for a US-backed initiative calling for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.

Ukraine's president warned that Moscow's history of violating short-term ceasefires undermines any confidence in its latest offer.

"They kill until May 7, pause for a few comfortable days, then start attacking again on the 11th."

On Monday, a few days before the parade, as rehearsals were taking place in the Russian capital, authorities said four drones were intercepted overnight as they approached the city.

This was not the first time Ukrainian drones reached Moscow.

In mid-March, city authorities reported the largest drone attack with over 70 drones shot down according to Russian air defense and Moscow authorities.

According to Zelensky, Ukrainian drones can now fly far beyond that and reach a range of 3,000 km.

Kiev has used long-range drones to strike deep into Russian territory, targeting military infrastructure such as airports, oil refineries, warehouses and logistics centers.

Russia has already canceled the Victory Parade in the occupied Crimean port city of Sevastopol.

The Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol said the parade would not take place due to security risks.

The announcement comes after a reported Ukrainian naval drone attack that destroyed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet near the port of Novorossiysk last Friday.

Ukrainian military intelligence described it as "an unprecedented operation," marking the first time a naval drone shot down a jet aircraft.

According to media reports, this is the third consecutive time that the parade has been canceled in Sevastopol. The occupied port city last held it in 2022, shortly after the start of Russia's full-scale occupation of Ukraine. /Telegraph/