Spectacular fireworks display marks end of Russia's World War II victory anniversary - video
Representatives from UK, France, Germany and the US were not in attendance
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Your support makes all the difference.A spectacular fireworks display in Moscow on Saturday night marked the end of Russia’s celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Vladimir Putin was in attendance, along with 30 other global leaders at the anniversary to mark Russia’s victory over the Nazis in 1945.
China’s Xi Jinping, Raul Castro of Cuba and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe all joined Putin to mark the end of what Russians call The Great Patriot War.
However, it was the absence of representatives from the US, UK, France and Germany that grabbed the headlines.
“But we remember our allies of the anti-Hitler coalition. We are grateful to the people of Great Britain, France and the US for their contribution to victory.”
The extravagant fireworks display over the Kremlin closed the day that saw millions across Russia come together in what was Russia’s biggest ever Victory Day celebrations.
Earlier in Moscow, Russian jets flew above a convoy of tanks and nearly 16,000 marching soldiers in Red Square for the grandiose spectacle.
Veterans of the war and families carrying photos of former soldiers watched on to commemorate those that died.
In the Ukraine, President Petro Poroshenko used similar celebrations to attack Russia and Vladimir Putin for “hijacking” their victory day.
At a ceremony in Kiev, Poroshenko, said: “We will never again mark this day with the Russian scenario which cold-bloodedly uses our victory day as an apology for its expansionist policies and for keeping its neighbours in its orbit and recreating empire.”
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