US Veteran Regrets That US, Russia No Longer Joining Celebration of Victory Day

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Victory Day parade in Moscow is a reminder of the time when the United States and Russia celebrated the important Holiday together and very sadly that that is not a reality now, US World War II veteran Frank Cohn told Sputnik.

The military parade commemorating the 77th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 took place on Red Square in Moscow during the celebration of Victory Day.

“This morning, I saw snippets of the Victory Day parade in Moscow on television. It surely reminded me of the day in 2010 when I saw the whole parade in person,” Cohn said.

Cohn expressed regret that the United States and Russia are not celebrating Victory Day together this year and urged public to maintain personal contacts despite the existing political tensions.

“It is sad that we are no longer joined in celebration. Let's just worry about our personal contacts and keep those alive until the politicians come to the realization that they do not accomplish anything by engaging in confrontation,” he said.

However, Cohn also pointed out that no one is winning in situations of confrontation and all sides are losing from the current conflict.

Cohn, a retired colonel, joined the US Army in 1943. In April 1945, he took part in the historic meeting of US and Soviet troops near the river Elbe - an event recognized as the symbolic pinnacle of both nations’ alliance to defeat the Nazis and liberate Europe.