The June 6 commemoration would mark the first time Putin and Western leaders have come face-to-face since the outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine
Mikhail Klimentyev/AP - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev attend a Victory Day parade, which commemorates the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany, at Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 9, 2014. Russia marked the Victory Day on May 9 holding a military parade at Red Square. Putin speaks at Russian Victory Day Parade in Moscow's Red Square Friday May 9 th , 2014 at 6:50 AM 1 Share Putin made no explicit reference to the tumultuous events in Ukraine in his four-minute address, focusing simply on service and honoring the memory of veterans who gave their lives to defend their country. But when an armored personnel carrier flying the flag of Crimea rolled past the tribune, the crowd went wild with applause. The peninsula was part of Russia until 1954, when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev gave it to Ukraine. “We will never allow the betrayal and oblivion of the heroes, all those who selflessly safeguarded