Anastasia Levchenko } Sputnik News
Sir Tony Brenton, former British ambassador to Russia, said that he hoped relations between Russia and Britain, as well as other Western states, improve “fast enough to attend future such anniversaries” such as the 70th anniversary of Victory in World War II.
It is a shame that political tensions have prevented major Western leaders from paying tribute to World War II heroes by participating in the May 9 Victory Day celebration in Moscow, Sir Tony Brenton, a former British ambassador to Russia, told Sputnik in an interview.
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Russia: Victory Day celebrations get underway in Moscow’s Red Square |
“It is a pity, obviously, because it is a very big anniversary for Russia. Russia played the central role in the war, and it is a shame that the state of our relations make it politically impossible for our leaders to be there,” Brenton said.
Comment: The state of Western relations with Russia, and why they won’t be improving anytime soon, in a nutshell:
The former ambassador added that he hoped relations between Russia and Britain, as well as other Western states, improve “fast enough to attend future such anniversaries.”
The most important thing is that the celebration was attended by China’s leader, Xi Jinping, which also sent her special honor guard to march in the parade. Obama and Cameron’s absence marks them as the small, petty men that they are.
Later on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to meet with the leaders of Egypt, Vietnam, India, South Africa, and the Czech Republic, as well as the UN secretary-general, who all arrived in Moscow.
Russia holds biggest ever military parade to mark Victory Day
UK Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama are among those who had declined the invitation to participate in the parade.
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