The Russian president’s inauguration for a fifth term and the annual Victory Day parade will highlight his grip on the country’s politics and his resolve to capture Ukraine.
After leaving France later Tuesday, the Chinese leader will visit Serbia and Hungary, whose authoritarian leaders offer a haven for China as tensions grow over the war in Ukraine.
The event for Mr. Putin, who claimed his fifth term in a rubber-stamp election, included a church service that underscored efforts to give a religious sheen to his rule.
Russian officials claimed the order was in response to comments from the West about the possibility of more direct Western involvement in the war in Ukraine.