Despite being allies since World War II, Russia and Western European powers are marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazism separately, the Associated Press reported, BTA reports.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has divided the continent again, and the death toll in the war is rising amid celebratory ceremonies in Europe.
Moscow is holding a huge parade today, attended by the leaders of China, Brazil and many other countries, and which is intended to show off Russian military power. Celebrations in Britain, France and the United States took place yesterday. Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers will meet in Lviv today to express their support for Ukraine, and European leaders are expected to meet in Oslo to do the same.
Some leaders of northern European countries reported that they had useful discussions yesterday with US President Donald Trump, shortly after he posted on his platform "Truth Social" in which he said that the US was calling for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine.
Trump said that if the ceasefire was not respected, "the US and its partners will impose further sanctions" on Russia.
Leaders from northern Europe and the Baltic republics spoke ahead of the Oslo security summit. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said he had spoken to Trump by phone.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said the call lasted about 20 minutes, while Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal described their discussion as "excellent" and added that Trump's position had "leaned towards cooperation with European partners".
Senior US officials have previously hinted that Europe could be excluded from discussions with the US on Ukraine and have threatened to walk away from the talks until an agreement is reached.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said European allies had agreed to impose new sanctions on Russia. He did not give details of the sanctions package, but said they would be adopted "in the coming days". He made the statement from Lviv, Ukraine, where dozens of European officials will meet to discuss the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute crimes of aggression committed by Russian agents in the war in Ukraine.
"I am sure that this tribunal will provide an opportunity to fight impunity for all war crimes committed during Russia's war against Ukraine," Barrot said. "There is no peace without justice, and there is no justice without truth," he added.
Barrot said French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Trump on Tuesday and told him it was time to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire.
Putin praised Russian troops in Ukraine, saying he was "proud of their courage and determination, as well as their spiritual strength that brought victory." He made his remarks at a military parade today. The Russian leader announced a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire, effective Wednesday, to coincide with Victory Day celebrations, but warned that Russian forces would respond to attacks.
Moscow has not yet accepted the US proposal for a 30-day truce, which Ukraine has accepted and has tied to a halt to Western arms supplies to Ukraine and an end to Ukrainian mobilizations - conditions that Ukraine and its Western allies have rejected.
Ukrainian authorities reported a series of Russian strikes on Wednesday that killed at least two people in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, saying buildings were also hit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a "good discussion" with with Donald Trump, during which the two celebrated Victory Day and discussed ways to achieve peace in Ukraine.
Zelensky said today that he had briefed Trump on the situation on the battlefield and reiterated that Ukraine was ready to accept a 30-day ceasefire agreement "that would come into effect today". He stressed Ukraine's readiness to participate in negotiations "in any format", but said that Russia must prove its commitment by accepting a comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire. Zelensky added that Trump had confirmed his desire to help stop the war and supported the idea of a ceasefire, and the two agreed to remain in touch.
Meanwhile, a military parade began in Moscow's Red Square today, marking the 80th anniversary of Russia's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
President Vladimir Putin and foreign leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico attended the celebrations.
The grand parade on Red Square and other ceremonies underscore Moscow's efforts to demonstrate its power and solidify its alliances while also presenting itself as a counterweight to the West amid the three-year war in Ukraine, the AP notes.
This year's celebrations were overshadowed by reports of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and chaos at airports in the Russian capital, as well as the shutdown of mobile internet on Wednesday.
Victory Day, which marks the surrender of Nazi Germany, ending World War II, is Russia's most important secular holiday, the AP notes. Although most Western countries celebrate the anniversary on May 8, Russia observes it on May 9.
General Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, did accept the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany at 2:41 a.m. local time on May 7 during a ceremony in Reims, France.
Although the news leaked that evening, the official announcement was delayed until the following day as the United States, Britain, and France attempted to overcome their differences with the Soviet Union, which felt that the surrender did not recognize the sacrifices its troops had made to secure victory.
A second surrender document was signed in Berlin around midnight on May 8, satisfying Soviet wishes.