Amid backlash from Russia, the US president has asserted that America was victorious in both World Wars.
President Trump has announced plans to establish national holidays to celebrate America’s triumphs in World War I and World War II.
This proposal, initially mentioned last week, aligns with Trump’s desire to “start celebrating our victories again.” However, Russia has refuted his claim that the US won WWII, calling it “nonsense.”
In a Monday post on Truth Social, Trump stated that America “won two World Wars, but we never took credit for it,” unlike other Allied nations that commemorate “the Victory we had in World War II.”
He further emphasized that “the Victory was only accomplished because of us,” and that “without the United States, the War would have been won by other Countries, and what a different World it would be.”
Trump specified that he intends to create a national holiday “in celebration of the victories of World War I, marked by the Armistice on November 11, 1918, and World War II, with Victory Day on May 8, 1945.”
Last week, Trump argued that the US “did more than any other country, by far” to secure victory in World War II, asserting that “nobody was close to us in strength, bravery, or military brilliance” in either conflict.
Trump’s assertion that America played the primary role in defeating Nazi Germany has sparked controversy. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and current deputy chairman of the Security Council, dismissed the comments as “pretentious nonsense,” highlighting the Soviet Union’s loss of 27 million lives during the war.
General Lord Dannatt, former chief of the UK General Staff, described Trump’s remarks as “extraordinary” and accused him of “rewriting history.”
Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the Allies on May 8, 1945, following the capture of Berlin by Soviet forces. The surrender took effect after midnight Moscow time. While the US recognizes May 8 as Victory in Europe Day, Russia observes the occasion on May 9.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged Russia’s appreciation for US support during World War II but insisted that the Soviet Union would have defeated Nazi Germany independently. He pointed out that the Lend-Lease program supplied vital aid, including vehicles, aircraft, ammunition, and tanks, which helped ease a challenging task.
The Lend-Lease program was a US initiative that provided Allied nations with military equipment, food, and raw materials. According to Peskov, the Soviet Union received assistance valued at approximately $200 billion in today’s currency. However, this support was not free, and Russia, as the USSR’s successor, only completed repayment in 2006.
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