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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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The Kremlin said that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the "Victory Day" celebrations in Moscow on May 9, symbolizing the close strategic partnership between the two countries that has deepened during Russia's war in Ukraine.
"We are waiting for the leader of China," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, per the Russian state news agency Tass. "There will be a separate visit by President Xi, to which we attach great importance and are preparing."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a unilateral temporary truce to coincide with Victory Day and urged the Ukrainians to adhere to it. Ukraine has demanded a full and immediate ceasefire instead.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia should be worried about its parade, which will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, remarks that the Kremlin shrugged off.
China has offered Russia an economic lifeline throughout its war with Ukraine, largely through substantial oil purchases, as Moscow faced widespread international sanctions over its invasion.
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Ukraine's western allies accuse China of enabling Russia's war.
There is also speculation in the Russian media that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could attend. North Korea sent a military delegation to Russia on April 29, but the Russian newspaper Vedomosti reported that Kim's attendance is in doubt.
While it is not clear if Kim will attend the Victory Day parade, a significant event in the Russian calendar, he and Putin recently gave the first official confirmation of North Korean troops fighting for Russia in Ukraine.
Pyongyang has sent weapons and troops to Russia under a deal that is estimated to have generated $20 billion for North Korea, according to an estimate from a South Korean think tank.
Update 4/30/25, 9:04 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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