Western leaders avoid festivities in protest of Russia's alleged involvement in Ukraine.
Russia has showed off its military muscle in one of its biggest parades, with hundreds of warplanes in a fly-over and thousands of troops marching in Red Square.
The spectacle was all part of the country's remembrance of the allied victory over Nazi Germany in which Russia lost an estimated 27 million Soviet citizens.
Notably absent were the leaders of Britain, France and the US but China's president was right beside Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Western boycott stems from Russia's role in the Ukraine crisis.
Does the Western boycott hurt Moscow or the West?
And will it push Russia to form an even closer ties with some old friends?
Presenter: Richelle Carey
Guests:
Olexiy Haran - Professor Of Comparative Politics, University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Sergei Markov - Public Spokesman for President Vladimir Putin.
Vladimir Pastukhov - Visiting fellow at St. Anthony's College, University of Oxford.
