Estonian ambassador to Moscow will participate in Victory Day parade
Jüri Luik, the current ambassador in Russia, will represent Estonia at the Moscow parade for Victory Day on May 9, which will mark 70 years since the capitulation of Nazi Germany and allied victory in the Second World War.
President Toomas Hendrik Ilves has previously announced that he will not travel to Moscow. Most Western politicians will stay away, in protest against Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
“The illegal annexation of Crimea and continuing destabilization of Ukraine by Russia has ruled out the participation of Estonia's head of state at the parade. Most EU member states will send their ambassadors,” Mariann Sudakov, a spokeswoman of the Estonian Foreign Ministry said.
Russian President Putin will, however, host North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pranab Mukherjee, India's president.
This year's parade is expected to be one of the largest in Russian history, comprising of about 16,000 soldiers, 200 armored vehicles and 150 planes and helicopters.
Over 61 million people lost their lives in the worst war of human history that lasted from 1939-1945. President Ilves will commemorate the allied victory in Tallinn.
Editor: S. Tambur