Vladimir Putin gears up to host world leaders

Russian President Vladimir Putin will host a lavish World War II Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday, an event the Kremlin hopes will rally patriotism at home and project strength abroad as its troops fight in Ukraine.

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More than 20 foreign dignitaries, including China's Xi Jinping, are scheduled to attend the annual parade this year, the fourth since Moscow launched a full-scale military assault on its neighbor in 2022.

Officials promise that commemorations this year -- the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany -- will be the "biggest" ever, with Putin ordering a "humanitarian" truce with Ukraine over the holiday.

Ukraine, which has dismissed the truce as a farce, has called the events in Russia a "parade of cynicism" and warned that it cannot guarantee the safety of world leaders attending.