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Czech president to attend WWII victory celebrations in Moscow if they are not canceled

Earlier on Wednesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out that the Victory Day parade in Moscow might be canceled due to the pandemic

PRAGUE, March 25. /TASS/. Czech President Milos Zeman plans to attend the celebrations timed to the 75th anniversary of victory in the Second World War set to take place in Moscow on May 9, 2020, if they are not canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vratislav Mynar, an official with the Czech presidential administration, informed, quoted by CTK news agency.

"Mr. President Milos Zeman will take part [as a guest] in the May military parade in Moscow on the occasion of the [75th] anniversary of the end of the Second World War, if it is not canceled by the organizers," Mynar said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out that the Victory Day parade in Moscow might be canceled due to the pandemic. He told reporters that this issue is under discussion, however, no decision has been made so far. Peskov stressed that the memory of those who defended Russia against Nazi invaders must be honored, however, it is crucial not to endanger the people’s health. He noted that the decision would be made depending on how the epidemiological situation in the country develops.

The celebratory events timed to the 75th anniversary of victory in the Second World War are set to take place on May 9, 2020 in Moscow. Russia has sent invitations to US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), as well as a number of European leaders. Leaders of India, Cuba, France, the Czech Republic, Venezuela, Belarus, Armenia, Bulgaria, and Serbia are among those who confirmed their attendance.

However, the COVID-19 outbreak might affect Russia’s plans for the celebrations.

Earlier on Wednesday, officials informed that the total number of those infected with COVID-19 in Moscow had reached 410, rising by 120 in the past 24 hours. The number of those recovered has risen to 15.

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in more than 150 countries, including Russia.

On March 11, WHO declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a global pandemic. As of now, over 410,000 people have been infected around the world and more than 18,000 have died. Russia has identified 658 cases of the virus. The Russian government has launched an online hotline to keep the country’s people informed about the coronavirus situation.