The refusal of Western leaders, and those of Germany and Japan, to attend the parade to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow on May 9 is a willful distortion of modern history. It makes a mockery of the endless self-congratulatory Western celebrations of World War II that have been held over the past year.

President Xi Jinping has exhibited a fine sense of history by deciding to attend the Victory Parade. Between them, China and the Soviet Union lost at least 47 million people in World War II, more than 100 times the total death tolls of either the United States or the British Empire and the Commonwealth.

It is particularly shameful that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has refused to attend the Moscow ceremonies. By contrast, although German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not attend the parade, she will visit Moscow for the 70th anniversary and other ceremonies. Her example should have been followed by US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron. It is outrageous that they have refused to do so.