Russia Stages Massive WW2 Parade Despite Western Boycott

Russia is staging its biggest military parade, marking 70 years of victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. Thousands of troops are marching on Red Square in Moscow, and new armour has been displayed for the first time. BBC reports:

Many foreign dignitaries are attending, but most Western leaders stayed away because of Russia’s role in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin said global co-operation had been put at risk in recent years. His Ukrainian counterpart accused him of justifying aggression.
Russia denies claims by the West that it is arming rebels in eastern Ukraine. More than 6,000 people have been killed since fighting began in April 2014 in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

In his speech, President Putin paid tribute to the sacrifices of Soviet troops during World War Two. He also thanked “the people of Great Britain, France and the United States for their contribution to victory”.
But he added: “In recent decades the basic principles of international co-operation have been ignored ever more frequently. We see how a military-bloc mentality is gaining momentum.”