Tinubu absent as African leaders join Putin for Moscow Victory Day parade

In a symbolic show of defiance against Western isolation, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a grand Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday, drawing a line-up of supportive world leaders, including several African heads of state. Notably absent from the event was Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu.

The parade, commemorating the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, marked its 80th anniversary this year with renewed grandeur and expanded international presence. While previous years saw more subdued celebrations due to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, this year’s event featured extensive military displays and diplomatic fanfare.

Among the African leaders present were President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso, President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe. All appeared alongside Putin on the viewing stand in Red Square.

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The presence of these leaders signaled a deepening of ties between Russia and parts of Africa, even as the West continues to pressure nations to distance themselves from Moscow due to the war in Ukraine. President Tinubu’s absence was particularly notable, given his administration’s perceived alignment with Western allies such as France and the United Kingdom—both of which have been vocal critics of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

China’s President Xi Jinping also stood prominently with Putin, underscoring a growing strategic alliance between Moscow and Beijing. Other high-profile attendees included Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico—whose appearance marked a rare instance of an EU leader standing publicly with the Kremlin.

This year’s parade featured a notable increase in military hardware, with Russian media reporting that more than 11,000 troops participated. Among the arsenal on display were both modern and historical tanks, as well as the Geranium-2 combat drone—a domestically adapted version of Iran’s Shahed drone.

Putin used the event to project military strength and global partnerships, even as diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine remain stalled. The Kremlin’s offer of a temporary ceasefire around the Victory Day anniversary was dismissed by Kyiv as a political maneuver, aimed more at securing the parade than at seeking peace.

“The Kremlin’s proposal for a three-day truce is not about peace, but about ensuring the safe conduct of the parade in Moscow. This is political manipulation,” said Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, on Thursday.