The Chinese leaders three-day trip will include talks with Vladimir Putin and attendance at the Victory Day Parade

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia from May 7 to 10 to attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow and hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin announced on Sunday. The visit marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.

Russia will hold its annual Victory Day parade on Red Square on May 9. More than 20 foreign leaders are expected to attend the commemoration in the Russian capital, including Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, among others.

In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin first announced that he would meet with the Chinese leader during the World War II victory celebrations in Moscow. Putin later proposed a 72-hour unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine to coincide with the festivities. Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky turned down the proposal, calling it a "theatrical performance" and instead pushed for a broader 30-day unconditional truce. Moscow officials said such a pause would let Kiev regroup and resupply.

Following this, Zelensky warned global leaders heading to Moscow that Ukraine cannot assure their safety.

"During the negotiations, key issues regarding the further development of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction will be discussed, as well as current problems on the international and regional agenda," the statement from the Kremlin said. "The signing of a number of bilateral intergovernmental and interagency documents is planned."

The visit will be Xi's third to Russia since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. China has maintained a position of neutrality in the conflict but has refused to blame Russia for the hostilities and has condemned the Western sanctions on Moscow, accusing the US of having a "Cold War mentality" based on confrontation.

(RT.com)