Russia, Belarus Mark Victory Day in Contrasting Events

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Kremlin wall marking the 75th anniversary of the Nazi defeat in World War II in Moscow, Russia on May 9, 2020. Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin marked Victory Day, the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, in a ceremony shorn of its usual military parade and pomp by the CCP virus pandemic.

In neighboring Belarus, however, the ceremonies went ahead in full, with tens of thousands of people in the sort of proximity that has been almost unseen in the world for months.