MOSCOW—
Thousands of soldiers and scores of tanks rumbled across Red Square and dozens of aircraft new and old roared overhead Saturday, as Russia marked the 70th anniversary of the Nazi defeat during World War II.
This year's parade took place as Russia's relations with many of the countries the Soviet Union was allied with have plummeted to dangerous levels. Russia's annexation of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, and its support of insurgents in eastern Ukraine have cast a pall over both the victory celebrations and Moscow's relations with the West in general.
U.S. President Barack Obama and many Western leaders — Germany, Britain, France — boycotted the parade, leaving President Vladimir Putin to host about 20 leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon, to watch the show of strength.
"Our entire multiethnic nation rose to fight for our Motherland’s freedom. Everyone bore the severe burden of the war," Putin said in a speech broadcast live on state television. "Together, our people made an immortal exploit to save the country. They predetermined the outcome of World War II. They liberated European nations from the Nazis."
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Chapisha Maoni