Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Declines Invitation to Russia’s Victory Day Parade

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Declines Invitation to Russia’s Victory Day Parade

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declined an invitation to attend Russia’s Victory Day Parade on May 9, which marks the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in World War II, according to news agency ANI. However, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to attend the event in his place.

In December last year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Kaliningrad, Russia, to participate in the commissioning ceremony of INS Tushil. During the visit, he laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow to honor Soviet soldiers who died in World War II, and also met with members of the Indian community residing in Russia.

Invitation to PM Modi from Moscow

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told state-run news agency TASS that Prime Minister Modi had been invited to participate in the May 9 parade, and that discussions on the matter were ongoing.

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, confirmed that PM Modi had received an invitation to attend the celebrations and stated:

“We will announce our level of participation at an appropriate time.”

PM Modi’s Recent Visits to Russia

In July 2024, Prime Minister Modi traveled to Moscow to attend the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit, which was his first visit to Russia in nearly five years. His previous visit was in 2019, when he participated in an economic forum in Vladivostok.

In October 2024, Modi also attended the BRICS Summit in Kazan. During his recent trip, he invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit India.