PM Modi to skip Russia's Victory Day parade amid tensions with Pakistan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be attending Russia’s Victory Day celebrations scheduled for May 9 in Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday.

While the Kremlin has not disclosed the exact reason behind the Prime Minister’s decision, multiple media reports suggest that India’s decision comes in the wake of heightened security concerns following the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22.

Meanwhile, India has yet to officially comment on the development.

Despite PM Modi’s absence, several global leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, are expected to be present in Moscow for the events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that PM Modi had received an official invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the Victory Day parade. At the time, the MEA stated that details regarding India’s participation would be shared “in due course.”

The decision comes in the wake of a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, where 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed when Pakistan-based terrorists opened fire on a crowd. Prime Minister Modi, who was on an official visit to Saudi Arabia at the time, cut short his trip and returned to India immediately.

The Resistance Front, a proxy outfit of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. However, the group later renounced the claim.

In response to the attack, India undertook a series of strong diplomatic measures against Pakistan. These included suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, expelling Pakistani diplomats, sealing the Attari-Wagah border, and issuing orders for Pakistani nationals to leave the country within a set deadline.

The attack has drawn widespread international condemnation, with Indian communities across the world staging protests outside Pakistani consulates, demanding justice and holding Islamabad accountable for cross-border terrorism.