'Spirit of the Elbe': Russian, US Officials Honor WWII Cooperation

It is important to honor the sacrifices people from both the United States and Soviet Union made during the Second World War, US State Department Director of Russian Affairs Eric Green told Sputnik at the "Spirit of the Elbe" commemoration ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday.

ARLINGTON (Sputnik) — Elbe Day commemorates the linking of the Soviet and US armies at the River Elbe in Germany on April 25, 1945, which was an important step toward ending World War II.

"It is significant to remember the sacrifices our countries made during World War II together. It's symbolic of our cooperation," Green, who headed the US delegation, told Sputnik.

When asked how important this event is for US-Russian relations at the moment, Green said, "our countries are always capable of cooperating together."

Russian, US as well as the delegations of the former Soviet Union states laid wreaths at the Spirit of the Elbe Memorial at the Arlington National Cemetery on Monday.

On April 25, 1945, Soviet and American troops met at the River Elbe, near the town of Torgau in Germany, a key milestone in the end of the Second World War. The meeting marked that Americans advancing from the West and Soviets advancing from the East has successfully cut Nazi Germany in two.