President Trump will not be visiting Moscow for Victory Day celebrations, the nation’s most important holiday.
Trump declined the Kremlin’s invitation to attend the celebrations on the 75th anniversary of World War II victory in May.
“Via diplomatic channels, we have received information that the (U.S.) president will not be coming,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with the state-run Tass news agency that it would be “a mistake” for world leaders to skip the celebrations.
“I think that, concerning former members of the anti‑Hitler alliance, the right thing to do would be to attend, from both a domestic political stance and a moral one,” Putin said. “We look forward to seeing them, and we will be glad if they come. If not, well, that’s their choice. But I think that would be a mistake for them.”
Thousands of troops and 300 military vehicles will parade through Red Square during the celebrations.
Trump said last year he was considering attending the commemorative events, but he wasn’t sure if his schedule would allow it because “it is right in the middle of political season.”
