Two German MEPs from the Sarah Wagenknecht Union party, Michael von der Schulenburg and Ruth Firmenich, will come to Moscow for the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, Der Spiegel reported.
According to the newspaper, the list of the delegation was agreed upon by the Russian Defence Ministry. Three more MEPs from the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Slovakia are also expected. Their names are not mentioned in the publication.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Mongolian President Uhnagiin Khurelsukh and Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obian Nguema Mbasogo have already arrived in Moscow to celebrate Victory Day.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitzo said Estonia refused to let his plane into Russia to attend a military parade in Moscow on 9 May. He said he was going to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and hold “four extremely important bilateral meetings”. Estonian authorities said on 7 May that they would not allow their airspace to be used for flights to Moscow to take part in the 9 May military parade. Earlier, Latvian and Lithuanian authorities also refused to allow Robert Fitzo’s plane to pass through to Russia.
Vucic made a stopover in Baku – presumably because of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and the decision by Latvia and Lithuania not to allow his plane through.
Azerbaijani President Ilgam Aliyev refused to travel to Moscow for 9 May.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in May cancelled a visit to Moscow because of the conflict with Pakistan. Laos President Thonloun Sisoulith also cancelled his trip, the official reason being a coronavirus infection.