Moscow, May 9, 2025 – The Europe Today: At the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm and his spouse Ngô Phương Ly led a high-level Vietnamese delegation to the Russian Federation to attend the solemn military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War (May 9, 1945 – May 9, 2025), held on Red Square in Moscow at 10:00 AM local time.
The commemorative event was attended by more than 20 heads of state and government, high-ranking delegations, and war veterans from around the world. This year’s parade served as a powerful tribute to the heroism and sacrifices of those who fought and perished in the war against fascism.
In his address, Russian President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Vladimir Putin underscored that May 9 is a day of shared remembrance and pride not only for Russia but for all anti-fascist nations. He paid tribute to the tens of millions of soldiers and civilians whose sacrifices brought about the historic victory, and acknowledged the contributions of Allied nations whose opening of the second front played a crucial role in hastening the defeat of fascism.
President Putin warned of the dangers posed by the resurgence of ideologies justifying fascism and called for the international community to uphold the lessons of unity, resistance to extremism, and rejection of racism and xenophobia. A moment of silence was observed in Red Square in memory of those who fell in the war, followed by a resounding threefold cheer of “Ura!” from the assembled participants.
This year’s parade was presided over by Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and featured 183 units of military hardware, as well as a spectacular aerial display with aircraft painting the sky in the colors of the Russian flag under clear and sunny conditions.
Marking a historic first, the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) participated in the parade with a contingent of 86 officers and soldiers. Marching with discipline and pride, the Vietnamese contingent carried the red flag with a yellow star alongside those of Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, and other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Their participation not only celebrated the shared history of anti-fascist struggle but also helped promote the image, people, and strength of the heroic Việt Nam People’s Army.
Vietnam’s presence at the Victory Day celebration reaffirmed its consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, and diversification, while underscoring the country’s commitment to a peaceful, stable, and cooperative international environment.
Earlier in the day, General Secretary Tô Lâm and his spouse attended the official welcome ceremony for foreign leaders at the Kremlin, hosted by President Putin. Following the parade, the Vietnamese leader and his spouse joined their counterparts in laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Aleksandrovsky Garden, in honor of all those who gave their lives for peace.
