The US president has renamed two WWII and WWI-related holidays to “start celebrating our victories”
The US played the most significant role in achieving victories in the two world wars, President Donald Trump claimed on Friday. Trump made the claim while announcing he has designated May 8 as Victory Day for WWII and November 11 Victory Day for WWI.
Nazi Germany officially capitulated to the Allied forces on May 8, 1945, shortly after Soviet troops captured Berlin. The surrender took effect after midnight in Moscow. Traditionally, May 8 is observed as Victory in Europe Day, with Russia celebrating on May 9.
”Many of our allies and friends are celebrating May 8th as Victory Day, but we did more than any other Country, by far, in producing a victorious result on World War II,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Thursday.
“Nobody was close” to the US “in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance,” Trump claimed. “We won both Wars,” he wrote, adding that “We are going to start celebrating our victories again!”
Trump’s praise for the US military effort in Europe comes as he pressures fellow NATO member states to ratchet up their defense budgets. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned that the EU must take responsibility for its own defense as the US is gradually stepping back from its security commitments on the continent.
The US president has previously claimed that Russia “helped” the US win WWII, drawing a rebuke from Moscow. Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that while Russia is grateful to the US for its support during the Second World War via the Lend-Lease program, the Soviet Union would have beaten Nazi Germany anyway.
The US does not officially observe any public holidays dedicated specifically to World War II. However, remembrance ceremonies have been held nationwide in May, August, and September for many years. On November 11, the US celebrates Veterans Day, commemorating the 1918 armistice , which suspended active hostilities and effectively ended the World War I.
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