Trump officially declares US WWII Victory Day

(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump has officially declared May 8 as a national day to commemorate America's victory in World War II, highlighting the role of U.S. forces while notably excluding any mention of the Soviet Union’s significant contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany.

In a proclamation released by the White House on Wednesday, Trump credited American troops with securing the outcome of the war, stating, “Without the sacrifice of our American soldiers, this war would not have been won, and our world today would look drastically different.” He praised the U.S. military’s power and honored the more than 250,000 Americans who died fighting to preserve Western civilization.

Trump’s move is part of his broader initiative to “start celebrating our victories again.” He previously proposed renaming Veterans Day, observed on November 11, as a day to commemorate the end of World War I—though the White House later clarified that such designations do not establish new public holidays without congressional approval.

The decision to center the WWII proclamation entirely on the U.S. has sparked international criticism. General Lord Dannatt, a former UK military chief, labeled the statement “extraordinary” and accused Trump of distorting history, especially given the UK’s loss of around 450,700 lives in the war.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, condemned Trump’s statement as “pretentious nonsense,” underscoring that the Soviet Union lost 27 million people in the fight against fascism. “Victory Day is ours and it is on May 9,” he asserted.

While Russia acknowledges the vital support the U.S. provided through the Lend-Lease program—valued at about $200 billion in today’s terms—it maintains that the Soviet Union would have still defeated Nazi Germany, albeit with greater difficulty. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov recently reiterated this position.

Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945, after Soviet forces captured Berlin. While much of the West marks Victory in Europe Day on May 8, Russia and many former Soviet states celebrate Victory Day on May 9, in accordance with Moscow time.

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