
Putin welcomes foreign leaders on Victory Day: As it happened
Thousands of troops and dozens of military vehicles paraded through Moscow's iconic Red Square on May 9 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany and its collaborators.
For over a decade, Victory Day has also featured a massive civilian march known as the Immortal Regiment, during which people carry portraits of their relatives who fought the Nazis. Dozens of Immortal Regiment marches have already taken place across the world over the past week – including in China, Africa, and Latin America – leading up to Russia's Victory Day celebrations.
Following the parade in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a series of meetings with visiting leaders, with talks expected to cover Ukraine, regional conflicts, energy cooperation, and economic ties. The leaders of Brazil, Egypt, Slovakia, Serbia, and Uzbekistan were among those taking part in the discussions.
This live stream has ended.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Russia Today
a minute ago
- Russia Today
Why US and Russia are bound to cooperate beyond Earth
The head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Bakanov, has made a rare visit to the United States – his first official trip since assuming the top job at Russia's space agency. The occasion? To attend the launch of Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov aboard a SpaceX spacecraft and to meet with his counterpart, acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. Whether or not he meets Elon Musk remains to be seen. But this trip is significant far beyond the question of private handshakes. This was, first and foremost, a political and diplomatic visit – the kind that's planned months in advance and requires high-level approval. That it's taking place now, in the midst of a direct confrontation between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine, speaks volumes. It marks the first in-person meeting between the heads of Roscosmos and NASA since 2018, when Dmitry Rogozin hosted Jim Bridenstine at Baikonur. Rogozin's own planned return visit to the US was blocked in late 2018, despite his openness to meeting Musk. His inclusion on Western sanctions lists made it politically toxic for Washington to host him. Subsequent Roscosmos chief Yury Borisov never even got the opportunity for face-to-face talks – the Biden administration declined, citing political optics during the Ukraine conflict. Communications were limited to a few phone calls. But with the return of Donald Trump to the White House and a reshuffled US space leadership, conditions for engagement have shifted. It hardly matters that the American side was represented by an acting official – Sean Duffy, appointed just two weeks ago – or that NASA has seen more leadership turnover than Roscosmos in recent years. Duffy doesn't make key decisions. He speaks for the White House. The symbolism lies in the fact that a meeting is happening at all, after years of virtual silence under the Biden administration. The timing is not accidental. The meeting coincided with the anniversary of the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission, when the US and USSR docked their spacecrafts in orbit at the height of the Cold War. Back then, both sides had nuclear weapons aimed at each other's capitals. And yet, they still shook hands in space. If they could do it then, the logic goes, they can do it now. The second reason for the visit – the flight of a Russian cosmonaut on an American spacecraft – sends an equally pointed message: despite geopolitical conflict, collaboration remains possible. NASA's reliance on Musk's rockets has only grown, especially after Boeing's Starliner program stumbled again. The next Starliner launch is planned as a cargo-only mission; crewed flights are on hold. Caution prevails. In this context, the Roscosmos visit functions as a subtle form of diplomacy: why fight down here when we could build together up there? The International Space Station (ISS) remains the last major joint venture between Russia and the US. Beyond it, nothing binds the two powers in peaceful cooperation. While technical matters were on the agenda, diplomacy took precedence. Still, two important points emerged from the talks. First, Sergey Krikalev – Russia's special presidential envoy for space – hinted that both sides have preliminarily agreed to extend ISS operations until 2030. Previously, the Russian government had only committed to supporting its segment of the station until 2028, anticipating that the first module of its next-generation Russian Orbital Station (ROS) would be launched by then. The US, meanwhile, has committed to operating its segment until 2030, with the possibility of continuing through 2032. Krikalev's statement carries weight. As a presidential envoy, he can speak with more flexibility than Bakanov, who is still bound by formal government directives. Nevertheless, the implication is clear: the door is open to extending joint operations well beyond 2028. Second, Bakanov stated that the two sides also discussed future space cooperation – including potential collaboration on the Russian orbital station and on deeper space missions. If negotiations go well, we could see the ISS extended through 2035, with Russia possibly participating in – or helping shape – a successor project: an ISS-2. For Trump, a renewed global space station could be cast as a diplomatic victory, potentially traded for Western concessions on Ukraine. If that happens, Russia's role in ISS-2, especially in partnership with BRICS countries, would elevate the project into a truly multipolar enterprise. A space station that is not just international, but universal. And then there is the Mars question – Musk's long-standing obsession and a second pillar of any future space agenda. A meeting between Bakanov and Musk, if it happens, would be behind closed doors and entirely unofficial. Just like when Vladimir Popovkin, a former Russian space chief, secretly met with Musk years ago. Bakanov's goal, it seems, is to demonstrate that Russia's aerospace sector has something to offer – that it is not a relic, but a relevant partner in humanity's next leap. If Russia does not participate in the Mars project, it risks being left behind. But what could attract Musk's attention? In reality, Russia has two trump cards: its nuclear-powered space tug technology and its deep, unmatched experience in space medicine. If harnessed wisely, these assets could give Moscow a seat at the Mars table – whether as partner or competitor. In sum, the Roscosmos visit to the US is about far more than a launch or a handshake. It's a signal – deliberate and strategic – that Russia still sees space as a domain for cooperation, not conflict. And that in the great void above us, there may yet be room for common article was first published by the online newspaper and was translated and edited by the RT team


Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Orban points to main hurdle in ending Ukraine conflict
The Ukraine conflict will only be resolved when both the West and Kiev accept that Ukraine cannot be a NATO member, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said. Budapest has consistently called for diplomacy and the immediate cessation of hostilities. Hungary has opposed Ukraine's bid to join NATO, arguing that such a move risks dragging Europe into a full-scale war with Russia. Since the conflict escalated in February 2022, Hungarian authorities have refused to send weapons to Kiev and continue to advocate a negotiated solution. 'Peace will come when Europeans and Ukrainians alike accept the fact that Russia will never allow NATO to establish a presence on its western border in Ukraine,' Orban said Saturday at a youth festival in Esztergom. The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that Ukraine's pursuit of NATO membership poses a direct threat to Russian national security and was a primary cause of the conflict's escalation. According to Moscow, NATO's expansion toward Russian borders is a red line, making Ukraine's bid unacceptable. Earlier this year, NATO members agreed on a plan to raise their defense budgets to 5% of GDP, citing the need to deter adversaries, primarily Russia, as the key reason for the move. A broader push among European NATO states to increase military spending has drawn sharp criticism from Russian officials. In June, the EU redirected approximately €335 billion ($390 billion) in Covid relief funds toward military uses. The previous month, Brussels introduced a €150 billion debt and loan instrument to support member states' armed forces and defense industries. Russia has condemned the steps, accusing both NATO and the EU of 'rabid militarization.' Orban also stated that a 'Russian threat' to Europe is unrealistic and does not exist, and should not shape EU policies. He warned that such an approach would result in faulty and incomplete decision making.


Russia Today
5 hours ago
- Russia Today
Four Russian civilians injured in latest Ukrainian drone raid
Dozens of Ukrainian drones attacked multiple Russian regions overnight, injuring at least four civilians and igniting fires in residential areas, local officials have reported. Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev has said that approximately 15 drones targeted his region, with air defenses shooting down multiple UAVs over the city and three nearby districts. One private home was completely destroyed, while several others have suffered damage to their walls, windows, and roofs. A fire also damaged an auto shop and a shed in the suburbs. According to Gusev, two women have been hospitalized, while another received on-site medical assistance, and a man from the outskirts of the city has been admitted to a hospital with burns. In Sochi, a Ukrainian drone struck a fuel tank at an oil storage facility in Adler district, causing a large fire visible across the city. Local authorities have confirmed that emergency crews were dispatched to combat the blaze, which also affected nearby garages. The airport in Sochi has temporarily suspended operations due to the threat of additional UAV activity. Drone strikes have also been reported in other parts of Krasnodar Krai and in Bryansk Region, where local air defenses have downed several drones. No casualties have been reported in those areas. Tatarstan, Samara, and Ivanovo regions have declared a heightened alert status due to potential drone threats, activating emergency protocols and warning residents to take shelter. Four civilians were killed in a separate wave of Ukrainian drone attacks on Friday night. According to regional officials, fatalities were recorded in Penza, Samara, and Zaporozhye regions, where drone strikes damaged industrial and residential infrastructure. Russia's Defense Ministry said that a total of 112 Ukrainian drones were intercepted across Russian territory overnight. Most of the UAVs were reportedly neutralized over Rostov and Krasnodar regions. Ukraine has been carrying out drone attacks deep into Russia for months, frequently striking residential buildings and critical infrastructure. In retaliation, Moscow has been using high-precision weapons to attack Ukraine's military-related targets, while insisting the strikes are never aimed at civilians.