PM Modi not to attend Victory Day parade in Russia on May 9

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend Moscow's May 9 Victory Day parade, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

The announcement comes amid escalating tensions with India following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people.

According to local media reports, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh could represent instead of Modi at the May 9 event.

President Vladimir Putin had invited Modi and Xi Jinping of China to attend the V-day celebration here to watch the victory parade at the Red Square.

Xi has confirmed that he will attend the event. Preparations are underway to host about 20 foreign leaders in Moscow.

In January 1945, the Soviet Army launched an offensive against Germany. The commanders-in-chief, on May 9, signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany, which ended the war.

PM Modi visited Russia in July 2024, his first trip to the country in nearly five years. He had visited the far eastern city of Vladivostok in 2019 to attend an economic conclave.

During the last visit, PM Modi invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit India. Putin has already accepted PM Modi’s invitation to visit India.

However, the dates of Putin’s visit have not been revealed yet.

Putin and Modi maintain regular contact, holding telephone conversations once every couple of months. The two leaders also hold in-person meetings, particularly on the sidelines of international events.