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Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) at the Victory Day parade last year. Russia's invitation to leaders of nations to attend the anniversary in Moscow could help smooth rifts. Photo: Reuters

Red Square parade to mark end of second world war worth attending

Russian President Vladimir Putin would not appear to be the perfect peacemaker. The EU and US have imposed economic sanctions against his country for its support of pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin would not appear to be the perfect peacemaker. The EU and US have imposed economic sanctions against his country for its support of pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine and several neighbouring eastern European nations are worried about Moscow's rising influence. Its weapons shipments to Syria have helped deepen the civil war and tensions in the Middle East have been raised by its supplying of nuclear technology to Iran. Yet the invitation to leaders of nations, allied and rivals alike, to attend the 70th anniversary in Moscow of the Soviet Union's contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany, could help smooth rifts.

Among those invited to the annual parade in Red Square on May 9 are President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the leaders of North and South Korea, Kim Jong-un and Park Geun-hye. Kim's attendance has already been confirmed; it will be his first foreign trip since taking the leadership in December 2011. China and North Korea have strained relations while all have fractured ties with Japan. Britain, France, Germany and the US, all with sanctions against Moscow, have also been given invitations, although American President Barack Obama has already declined to attend.

Washington's alliance with Tokyo and Seoul could well influence whether Abe and Park attend. Japan joined the sanctions over Ukraine as a member of the Group of Seven nations. Yet the anniversary would be good reason for Japan and Russia to try to make peace over four disputed islands occupied by the Soviet Union in the dying days of the second world war, a stand-off that has blocked the signing of a treaty.

So many leaders with differences sharing a podium for a shared anniversary would be a good start to breaking the ice. There need not be high-profile talks on the fringes, like the unfruitful one between Xi and Abe at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum last November. The mere fact that together they would be celebrating an event that brought peace to a war-ravaged world should be cause to spur fence-mending.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Moscow meeting can bridge divide
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