President of Russia Vladimir Putin believes representatives of CIS countries will make a mistake if they decide not to come to Russia on Victory Day. This is what Putin said during his big year-end press conference, reports TASS.

“Taking into consideration the peculiarity of our interstate relations, if anyone doesn’t come to Russia on Victory Day, I believe that will be a major mistake on their part because it will mean that they don’t respect the people who fought and sacrificed their lives for the independence of their homelands,” he said.

During the CIS Summit in Ashgabat, Putin recommended that the leaders of CIS countries travel to the Russian Federation to attend the events dedicated to Victory Day and stated that the participation of the descendants of veterans during the parade in Moscow will be “a symbolic and important step”. “Russia will be happy to see all those who accept our invitation,” Putin added.