Brazil’s Lula to attend Moscow WWII victory celebrations – envoy
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has accepted Moscow’s invitation to take part in celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II, the Russian ambassador to Brazil has said.
Aleksey Labetsky told TASS on Tuesday that the invitation for Lula to attend this year’s Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9 – commemorating the Soviet Union’s defeat of fascism – was sent by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The invitation was accepted,” Labetsky said, adding that both sides are now working out the arrangements of the trip.
The ambassador recalled that Brazil was the only Latin American country to take part in combat during World War II, with its expeditionary force fighting effectively alongside Allied forces in Italy in 1944-45.
Labetsky highlighted the importance of the upcoming meeting between Putin and Lula, saying it would shape the development of bilateral ties, cooperation within BRICS, and broader political dialogue on the global stage.
Moscow has invited leaders of “friendly nations” to take part in the commemorations. Russia views the 1945 victory as a symbol of national resilience, as the USSR lost an estimated 26.6 million lives during World War II, known as the Great Patriotic War in post-Soviet states.
Putin said last week that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Moscow for the parade as part of a full state visit. Xi has also invited Putin to attend China’s World War II commemorations in early September.
Several foreign leaders have already confirmed their attendance, including Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may also attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow, although his participation has not yet been officially confirmed.
Among other world leaders reported to be planning to attend the celebrations in Moscow are Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, Vietnamese President To Lam, and Burkina Faso’s interim leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore.
