India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has refused to participate in the military parade, which Russia plans to hold on May 9 in Moscow on the occasion of the so -called Victory Day. He became the first high -ranking foreign official to change plans to participate in the event.
According to India Today, Singh's decision not to go to the parade is related to the cancellation of the scheduled visit to Russia by Prime Minister India Narendra Modi. Indian media notes that changes in diplomatic graphics are explained by the tense situation in India's relations with Pakistan, which requires increased attention from the country's leadership.
Despite the refusal of the top official, India does not intend to demonstrate cooling in relations with Russia. Deputy Minister of Defense - State Minister Sanjai Seth, who will represent the country in the West, will be sent to the parade.
Russia, in turn, counts on the presence of representatives of "friendly countries". According to preliminary data, the parade of Moscow may come to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitzo, China leader Xi Jinping and North Korea's head Kim Jong -in.
The parade on May 9 is traditionally accompanied by a large -scale demonstration of military equipment and speeches of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the current environment, the Kremlin is trying to show support from individual countries, despite the continuing war against Ukraine and sanctions.
