Chinese military units will participate in the parade on Red Square, dedicated to the 78th anniversary of the victory over fascism, scheduled for May 9 in Moscow
This is not just a festive march – a special calculation of Chinese military personnel will take part in this large-scale event, which will become one of the main features of the traditional military parade. Details regarding the participation of foreign troops appeared directly from Russian officials themselves, notably from Vladimir Putin, who on May 8 opened narrow-format negotiations with China's leader Xi Jinping and made an important statement in honor of this occasion. According to the Russian leader, the involvement of the Chinese unit in the parade will be particularly significant and will be the largest among all foreign delegations. Putin emphasized: “Together with our Chinese friends, we steadfastly stand guard over historical truth, defend the memory of heroic past events, and oppose modern manifestations of neo-Nazism and militarism.” These words currently carry a deep symbolic meaning, as Moscow once again underscores its stance on historical superiority and interprets the current war through different logics – as a struggle for shared values and ideals, which they believe align with China. The background of the conflict escalated to massive proportions when, in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military aggression against Ukraine under the pretext of “demilitarization and denazification.” This war has become one of the most complex and brutal in modern European history, causing thousands of casualties and extensive destruction. As a result of war crimes committed by Russian forces in numerous Ukrainian cities and villages, a new sharp critique of Moscow has emerged globally – the term “Rashism,” combining ideas of fascism and Nazism, has become a symbol of the entire military ideological course of the Russian authorities. On Victory Day and the commemoration of the defeat of Nazism – May 8 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the international community with a warning. He emphasized that, despite all the symbolic rituals and propaganda moments, the parade in Moscow is being prepared as a kind of “parade of fear”: columns of tanks, mass marches, and “killer boxes”, which under the guise of celebrating victory prepare to demonstrate military power, but in reality, this parade is a manifestation of one of the most extensive propaganda campaigns of the Russian regime. Zelensky stresses that, in this context, it is important to see behind this show – a hidden illusion of strength and a desire to justify its aggression, not genuine values and memory. Overall, the participation of Chinese military personnel in the Moscow parade significantly enhances the role of international diplomacy and demonstrates close cooperation between Moscow and Beijing, which, in their quest to solidify their positions on the global stage, seek common ideological and strategic orientations. It also once again emphasizes that in current conditions, the historical context of victory over Nazism, once a significant milestone, is transforming into a declaration of solidarity and joint struggle against the challenges faced by autocracies and authoritarian regimes. Currently, the international community watches this situation with concern, as the May 9 parade, besides its symbolic significance, could also serve as a platform to showcase military strength and new political messages, while the war in Ukraine continues and the world strives to find effective mechanisms to respond and prevent further escalation of the conflict.