Tusk: No European leader should attend Moscow parade

This was stated on Monday in Amsterdam by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who spoke at a joint press conference with his Dutch counterpart Dick Schoof, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The great tragedies of Europe – the First and Second World Wars – had their roots in political blindness, indifference, ambiguity, and tolerance for evil, Tusk recalled.

“Europe, the Western community, can never make such a mistake again,” Tusk stressed, adding that in situations like World War 2 or the war in Ukraine, where things are purely black and white, where it is clear who the aggressor is and who is the victim, where the international community sees where the source of the threat and danger comes from, everyone has to stand in solidarity and united.

Those failing to realize this are putting themselves “a bit outside the Community,” Tusk stressed.

According to the prime minister, commemorating the end of World War 2 on Red Square in the Kremlin’s shadow today “is not just political blindness, especially if someone is a European.”

He noted that the leaders of China or Brazil have a slightly different view of history and modernity, but no European “has the right to or can pretend that they do not see where the threat is hidden and how important it is to preserve solidarity and the European community.”

Tusk added that this is a problem for the Slovak partner (Prime Minister Robert Fico - ed.), because the Polish and Dutch leaders know "where and with whom they should be on this day."

As Ukrinform reported earlier, in total, some 20 leaders are expected in Russia at the Victory Day events. Among them are Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. Putin's invitation was also accepted by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, and Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be coming to Moscow to participate in the Victory Day events.

Fico said he would attend a military parade in Russia on May 9, and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "should not threaten" other countries where millions of people live, and their security, during the celebrations.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry warned against the participation of foreign troops in the parade in Moscow on May 9.

Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak