Quote Originally Posted by sabang
It was churlish for western leaders to boycott this week’s Victory Parade in Moscow that commemorated the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany 70 years ago.
Hardly churlish. It is Russia's use of its military forces for selfish and illegal territorial acquisitions which is the main subject of the international dispute.

It would have been very odd for western leaders to attend the military parade on the 9th may. This was not a parade of old soldiers in wheelchairs like Remembrance parades in the west. This was a parade of all the latest Russian military tech and hardware and a celebration of Russia's current military capability. Remembrance of the human sacrifice of veterans is just an excuse for the anachronistic and vulgar display.