April 25—On April 25, 1945, the Soviet and U.S. armies linked up on the Elbe River, marking the success of the allied effort to defeat fascism. In April 1955, The Spirit of the Elbe memorial was unveiled at the Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., and every year since then, the occasion has been celebrated as a symbol of cooperation between the two nations to achieve victory in a just cause.
Not this year. Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov reported yesterday that this year’s ceremony at the memorial had to be cancelled. “Sadly, this year we have been denied permission to hold such events. Formally, the decision was made by the Arlington Cemetery, but we have been told quite clearly that they followed instructions from the Department of State. We are well aware of the reasons in the light of the Russophobia that has been unfolded in the United States,” he reported.
