V-day to give Putin a stage to mend image

Welcoming foreign guests to Moscow on the 60th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany on May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the world community to unite against ‘‘violence and evil’’.

Analyst expect that Putin will try to improve his image abroad don a statesman’s garb in the face of faltering relations with Washington during the celebrations.

‘‘Twenty-seven million people is an incredibly painful and high price to pay for defeating fascism,’’ he said.

Fifty-six heads of states and governments will