MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Kremlin will publish the list of foreign leaders who will attend the Victory day celebrations in Moscow when it is finalized, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.
Moscow sent invitations to a number of world leaders to attend the Victory Parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of Nazi Germany surrender, and marking the end of the World War II.
More than 30 country leaders confirmed their participation in Moscow's Victory Day parade on May 9, the Russian Izvestia newspaper reported Tuesday citing a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"This is a holiday for all our country, all our people, all our veterans. That is why the holiday will be nationwide in the full sense of the word regardless of the foreign presence," Peskov said.
European Council President Donald Tusk, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron declined Moscow's invitation to attend Victory Day. The move reflects recent tensions between the West and Russia amid the accusations of Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian internal affairs.