Putin put a hold on the VE Day parade in Mosow.
Lukashenko is really more the man after Trump's own heart, on this.
Coronavirus: Belarus WW2 parade defies pandemic and upstages Putin
There were no tanks, and no parade of soldiers and veterans, in the heart of Moscow to mark the 75th anniversary of victory in World War Two.
The Red Square 9 May parade was cancelled because of the pandemic but in neighbouring Belarus the parade went ahead in the centre of the capital Minsk, with a concert and festive fireworks planned as part of the programme.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko appears unfazed by the pandemic. He has not followed the European pattern of imposing sweeping restrictions.
Russia is still under lockdown and for seven days in a row it has recorded more than 10,000 new Covid-19 infections.
And yet Mr Lukashenko refused to cancel his military parade, since it serves a patriotic purpose: to remind people of Soviet-era hardship and sacrifices.
Speaking ahead of the parade, he said: "They gave their lives so we could live today, that's why we can honour our heroes on this sacred day. We cannot do anything different."
Mr Lukashenko has been in power since 1994, exerting authoritarian control over Belarus in a style reminiscent of the Soviet era.
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The Belarusian authorities have registered 21,101 cases of coronavirus, having conducted more than 240,000 tests. They say 121 people have died.
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The EU has promised Belarus €60m (£52m; $64m) to help fight coronavirus - but only on condition that it fulfils WHO guidelines.
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