Donald Trump says he ‘would love to go’ as Vladimir Putin invites him to Moscow to celebrate 75th anniversary of Nazi defeat at massive military parade
President Donald Trump said he is considering heading to Moscow to join the May 9 celebrations of the victory over the Nazis – potentially putting Russia once again in the spotlight in the heat of a political campaign.
He commented Friday at the White House after Russian President Vladimir Putin extended an invitation to attend Russia’s May 9 Victory Day.
‘I am thinking about it,’ Trump said.
‘I appreciate the invitation. It is right in the middle of political season, so I’ll see if I can do it, but I would love to go if I could,’ Trump told reporters before departing the White House for fundraisers around Atlanta that brought in an estimated $3.5 million.
‘I appreciate the invitation. It is right in the middle of political season,’ Trump said, asked if he would attend festivities in Moscow marking the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory over the Nazis
The trip would put Trump in front of Russia’s brash display of military hardware including tanks and missiles that typically adorn the event.
It would come in the heat of the campaign, days before the primary in Indiana, although Trump is running far ahead of his Republican challengers, who are blocked from participating in some primaries. A trip to Moscow could well become fodder in the Democratic primary race.
Putin presides over an annual parade to commemorate the Soviet Union’s World War Two victory over Nazi Germany, but the Kremlin has said next year’s 75th anniversary would be marked with great pomp.
Trump called it ‘a very big deal celebrating the end of the war.’
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was cited by RIA news agency as saying on Thursday that Putin’s invitation to his U.S. counterpart to attend Victory Day in Moscow had been ‘received with interest,’ but there had not yet been any reply from the White House.
Trump has received an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the festivities in Moscow in May
The parade is expected to have even more pomp than usual at the celebration
Russian military parade during the May Day celebration
circa 1942: Women digging near damaged train tracks during the Battle of Stalingrad, USSR (now Russia), during World War II. Many of the women wear babushkas and skirts. On the hill behind them are destroyed buildings. Russia will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of Allied the victory over the Nazis
While U.S.-Russia relations have hit a low point after American intelligence agencies concluded that Moscow interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help Trump, the two leaders have maintained what appears to be a good relationship.
Trump made the comment in between remarks about the impeachment inquiry over his July 25 phone call with the president of Ukraine – a country fighting a war with Russia.
Diplomats and security officials blasted what they say was an effort to tie $391 million in needed military aid to a Ukrainian investigation of the Bidens and a conspiracy theory involving the 2016 campaign about Hillary Clinton’s server.
Trump has repeatedly said he has done nothing wrong and that he wants good relations with Russia.