Russia is marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day as a few dozen leaders fly in to watch and meet with Putin. Victory day has become an opportunity for Russia to try to frame the Ukraine war in the same light as the second world war.

Victory Day, celebrated on May 9, is Russia’s most important secular holiday, reflecting its wartime sacrifice. But it’s also used by the Kremlin to bolster patriotism and regain the superpower prestige it lost when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Putin hosts grand Victory Day parade in Moscow with Xi Jinping as guest of honour, as Ukraine war and global tensions cast a shadow over celebrations.