Five members of the European Parliament plan to visit Moscow this week to attend events marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, German media reported Wednesday.
The delegation includes two lawmakers from Germany’s far-left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which opposes military aid to Ukraine, as well as MEPs from the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Slovakia.
According to the German news agency dpa, the lawmakers will spend two days in the Russian capital during President Vladimir Putin’s unilaterally declared ceasefire between May 8 and May 10, timed to coincide with Victory Day celebrations.
Among the lawmakers are BSW members Michael von der Schulenburg and Ruth Firmenich. The names of the Czech, Cypriot and Slovak MEPs were not mentioned in the dpa report, which said the delegation plans to visit Kyiv after Moscow.
The group hopes to “hold talks with parliamentarians and other representatives… to overcome the ever-increasing spiral of confrontation and escalation in Europe,” according to a BSW press release quoted by dpa.
“We also want to send a signal that we want the weapons in Ukraine to fall silent permanently,” the statement added.
BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht told the German news website Der Spiegel that her party members “will not participate in the military parade” on Red Square or in “similar state appointments.”
According to the outlet, Russia’s Defense Ministry pre-approved the European lawmakers’ visit.
At least 29 world leaders are expected to attend Friday’s military parade in Moscow, including the presidents of Serbia and Slovakia — the only European leaders planning to take part in the commemorations.
Ukrainian officials have warned that they cannot guarantee the safety of foreign dignitaries in Moscow during the celebrations and have rejected Putin’s proposed 72-hour ceasefire, instead calling for a 30-day ceasefire.
On Wednesday, Ukraine launched its largest-ever drone assault on Russia, prompting airports across the country to restrict air traffic, which has since led to major flight delays and cancellations for travelers.
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