Letter - Congratulations veterans on Victory in Europe Day |09 May 2014

War veterans, colleagues and friends, let me congratulate all of you on the 69th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day which marked the end of World War II in Europe.

Another year has passed since those memorable days when many put down the guns to end the bloodiest war in human history.

A total of 62 out of 73 independent states that existed at the time took part in the war and victory was gained at a very high price – destroyed cities and industries, deprivation and suffering, human tragedies. More than 54 million people died (nearly half of them from the former USSR) and 90 million were wounded.

Allied nations – Russia, Great Britain, France, the United States of America and other states of anti-Hitler coalition (including Seychelles) – showed a valiant effort to save Europe and the world from the threat of Nazism.

Noting every year this great event we draw attention to the dangerous increase of ultranationalist, extremist, no-Nazi sentiments and the inadmissibility of attempts to rewrite the truth about World War II to erase the heroism of those who saved the world from the ‘brown plague’.

We want to assure you that the importance and greatness of your Victory will never fade and we will do everything possible for our children and grandchildren to save this sacred memory.
Dear veterans, as I congratulate you on this day, I wish you good health, kindness, prosperity and a happy life!

Vladimir Belous
Ambassador of the Russian Federation

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Editor’s note: Victory in Europe (VE) Day was declared on May 8, 1945 to symbolise the official end of Hitler's war. The Tuesday was a great day, as it meant one of the more tragic portions of World War II had come to an end after six long years. Since then, May 8 has been celebrated as VE Day.

VE Day comes a day after Grand Admiral Donitz surrendered to General Eisenhower's HQ in Reims in France on May, 7, 1945. His surrender – which took place in front of senior officers from Britain, America, Russia, and France – came within a week of becoming President of the Third Reich after the suicide of Adolf Hitler on April 30, 1945.