Russia showed off new machines of war, including a highly sophisticated tank, Saturday in the annual Victory Day military parade through Red Square that marks the surrender of Nazi Germany and the Red Army's key role in the defeat. The Armata tank drew a strong round of applause as it rumbled through the square. Also on view for the first time at the parade was a lumbering RS-24 Yars ICBM launcher, along with several new, smaller vehicles. Victory Day is Russia's most important secular holiday, both commemorating the Soviet Union's huge suffering during World War II and highlighting Russia's portrayal of itself as a force for peace and security. This year's parade was the biggest military parade since the Soviet Union's collapse. In his speech to the assembled troops and veterans, President Vladimir V. Putin said that the carnage of the war underlined the importance of international cooperation, but "in the past decades, we have seen attempts to create a unipolar world." That phrase is often used by Russia to criticize the United States' purported aim to dominate world affairs. The observances were shadowed by the near-complete absence of European leaders from the ceremony. The cold shoulder from leaders underlines the tensions between Russia and the West over the crisis in Ukraine. Chinese President Xi Jinping was the most prominent world leader to attend the parade. Source: The New York Times
