In the memory of the historic meeting of Soviet and US soldiers in 1945 in Germany, an annual gathering takes place annually at Arlington Cemetery near Washington at the "Spirit of Elbe" memorial.

This year, however, US authorities canceled the ceremony, according to the Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov. It seems this was done based on the recommendation of the Department of State, which intervened to advise against holding it.

“It was refused to hold such events. Purely formally [they were canceled by] Arlington Cemetery, but we were clearly told that [this happened based] on the recommendation of the State Department. We understand this reaction due to the Russophobia that is deployed today in the United States,” Antonov said.

Russian diplomats and their counterparts from CIS countries, in addition to WWII veterans and US officials, had previously laid wreaths at the memorial every year. 

The meeting of troops from both sides happened in the city of Torgau on the Elbe river, on April 25, 1945, and the occasion became a symbol of the joint efforts in the victory over Nazism.

The memorial plaque in question, which depicts Soviet and US soldiers shaking hands on the Elbe Bridge (pictured), was installed at Arlington Cemetery in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the event.