Moscow: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is to attend Moscow's World War II victory celebrations despite snubs from Western leaders, Russia's TASS state news agency reported Saturday, citing a UN source.
"His flight out to Moscow is planned for May 8. The secretary-general will take part in the celebration events and return on May 11," the source at the UN headquarters said.
TASS quoted UN spokesman Farhan Haq as saying he could not comment on the report and that the secretary-general's trips were usually announced closer to the date.
World leaders including US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande are skipping the Kremlin's celebrations of 70 years since World War II victory culminating in a May 9 military parade on Red Square in a snub over Russia's actions in Ukraine.
Leaders who have confirmed attendance include North Korea's reclusive Kim Jong-Un, who will make his first foreign trip since coming to power in 2011.
