Trump announces US WWII Victory Day

(MENAFN) President Donald Trump has declared May 8 as “Victory Day for World War II,” a non-federal holiday meant to honor the U.S. role in defeating Nazi Germany—while notably omitting recognition of the Soviet Union's significant contributions and sacrifices in the conflict.

In a proclamation released Wednesday, Trump praised the efforts of American troops, asserting that the war would not have been won without them. He emphasized that the U.S. military's strength was essential to preserving Western civilization, citing the sacrifice of over 250,000 American lives.

“On this Victory Day for World War II, we celebrate the unmatched might, strength, and power of the American Armed Forces,” Trump wrote, underscoring the need to continue defending American liberty.

This follows Trump’s earlier proposal to rename November 11 as “Victory Day for World War I,” potentially replacing Veterans Day. However, the White House later clarified that such symbolic declarations don’t create official holidays without approval from Congress.

The move has drawn strong criticism from Russia and other Allied nations. Former UK military leader General Lord Dannatt described Trump’s remarks as an attempt to “rewrite history,” calling them “extraordinary.” Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev dismissed the proclamation as “pretentious nonsense,” highlighting that the Soviet Union lost 27 million people in the war and declaring, “Victory Day is ours and it is on May 9.”

The Kremlin reiterated that while the USSR was grateful for U.S. aid during the war, it believes Nazi Germany could still have been defeated—though with greater difficulty—even without American support. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the Soviet contribution was decisive.

The U.S. did support the USSR through the Lend-Lease program, providing military supplies and other resources worth approximately $200 billion in today’s terms. However, this aid was not free, and Russia only completed the final payments in 2006.

Germany officially surrendered on May 8, 1945, which the U.S. marked as V-E Day. Because the surrender took effect after midnight Moscow time, Russia observes Victory Day on May 9. In 1945, the U.S. also marked September 2 as V-J Day, commemorating Japan’s surrender.

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