The Russian diplomat said the decision was made based on the recommendation of the State Department. The US authorities have canceled the ceremony in memory of the meeting of Soviet and American soldiers on the Elbe in 1945. The ceremony takes place annually at the Spirit of the Elbe Cemetery near Washington in the spirit of the Elbe memorial, Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov told the media.
It was refused to hold such events. They were cancelled by Arlington Cemetery, but we were clearly told that this happened based on the recommendation of the State Department. He said that he understands this reaction due to the Russophobia that is being deployed today in the United States.
Russian diplomats, their counterparts from the CIS countries, World War II veterans and American officials had previously laid wreaths at the memorial every year.
In 2020, the then-US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said in a joint statement that the Spirit of the Elbe' is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. The meeting of Soviet and American troops near the city of Torgau on the Elbe took place on April 25, 1945. This event became one of the symbols of the common efforts of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition in the victory over Nazism.
A memorial plaque depicting Soviet and American soldiers shaking hands on the Elbe Bridge was installed in April 1995 at Arlington Cemetery in April 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the event.