Putin hails Nazi defeat in virus-delayed Red Square parade

President Vladimir Putin’s insistence on holding the parade reflects not only his desire to put Russia's power on display but also to bolster patriotic sentiments a week before a constitutional referendum that could allow him to remain in office until 2036. The Victory Day parade normally is held on May 9, the nation's most important secular holiday. This year's date of Wednesday, June 24, coincides with the day in 1945 when the first parade was held on Red Square after the defeat of Nazi Germany by the Soviet Union and its allies.