Medvedev defends inviting Nato troops to Red Square

PRESIDENT Dmitry Medvedev struck a conciliatory note at Russia’s Victory Day military parade yesterday, urging world powers to unite for peace and defending his decision to invite Nato troops to march on Red Square.

For the first time since Stalin began commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany, serving US, British, Polish and French troops joined more than 11,000 Russian soldiers to parade past the Kremlin’s red walls in bright sunshine.

The opposition Communists and some Soviet war veterans condemned the move but Medvedev said in a speech that the lesson from World War II was “to urge us to unite in solidarity” to counter present-day threats and ensure global security.