Moscow Will See Only One Leader of Post-Soviet States at May 9 Victory Parade

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko will be the only CIS leader (Commonwealth of Independent States, formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union) to attend the 2026 Victory Parade in Moscow on May 9.

Political commentator for Tsargrad and former state security minister of the DPR, Andrei Pinchuk, believes that participation in the Victory Day parade is not merely a ceremonial military event or a tribute to the past – it is also a demonstration of political positioning in the modern world.

Participation as a Political Signal

The absence of Central Asian leaders was deliberately softened through rhetoric suggesting that invitations were not broadly distributed.

"This is a kind of diplomatic zigzag move. It was probably needed to avoid an awkward situation in which a mass distribution of invitations would result in only slightly more participants than we see now.”

As an example, he pointed to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

"They say he is seeking the position of UN Secretary-General. Under current circumstances, this is a person who makes political decisions extremely carefully. If a significant portion of world leaders were in Moscow, where would Tokayev be — considering how much Russia has helped him with resources, with maintaining power, and by stabilizing the situation in his country through our armed forces at the time?” Pinchuk said.

Who Will Attend the Parade

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that several foreign leaders would attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow.

Among those expected to visit the Russian capital are:

• Badra Gunba, President of Abkhazia;
• Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus;
• Thongloun Sisoulith, President of Laos;
• Sultan Ibrahim, Supreme Ruler of Malaysia;
• Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia.

Also expected to attend are Alan Gagloev, President of South Ossetia, Siniša Karan, President of Republika Srpska, and former Republika Srpska leader Milorad Dodik.

Changing Political Landscape

The composition of this year's guest list reflects the increasingly complex geopolitical environment surrounding Russia and its relations with post-Soviet states, European countries and members of the Global South.

Observers note that attendance at the Moscow parade has become more than a symbolic diplomatic gesture. For many leaders, participation now carries political consequences both domestically and internationally amid ongoing tensions between Russia and the West.