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Russia invites French, British, US troops to Victory Day parade
Jan 21, 2010, 14:20 GMT
Moscow - Russia plans to invite active duty military personnel from the World War II Allied Powers France, Britain, and the US to march in its May 9 Victory Day parade, the chief of the Russian presidential administration told the Kommersant daily.
President Dmitry Medevdev would invite the Allied military to take part in the celebrations of the 65th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany that ended World War II in Europe, Vladimir Koshin said.
The soldiers invited would not be veterans, but active personnel, including 70 members of the French Air Force. It would be the first time that NATO members could participate in the celebration, a Soviet tradition revivified by Russia in 1995.
Last May, 9,000 Russian soldiers marched across Red Square in a display of military prowess.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has already said he will attend the celebration, however US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown are still undecided.
Around 8.7 million soldiers of the Soviet Union's Red Army lost their lives in the time.
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