WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama should be participating in the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of victory in World War II in Moscow on May 9, US nonprofit organization Friends of the Russian Cultural Center (FRCC) Chairman Lloyd Costley told Sputnik.
“Putin invited Obama to come [to Moscow’s parade], and because of politics they are not going to celebrate the Second World War [victory] together, which they should be,” Costley said on Thursday.
Russia has sent out invitations to a number of world leaders to attend the May 9 Victory Parade in Moscow in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany and the end of World War II.
US State Department told Sputnik on April 10, 2015 that the US Ambassador to Russia John Tefft will represent the country at the celebration instead of President Obama.
“It is too bad that this controversy in Russia-America relations is happening now,” he added.
The FRCC Chairman compared Russia-US relations to those between brothers and sisters, who, while loving each other, keep on arguing all the time.
“Like a brother and a sister they [Russia, United States] really like each other, but they fight like cats and dogs,” Costley said.
May 9 Victory Day celebrations in Moscow will be attended by representatives from at least 25 states, according to top Kremlin official Sergei Ivanov.
However, a number of European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, have declined the invitation in light of Russia's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis.
The FRCC is a US nonprofit organization that provides support to the Russian Cultural Center in Washington, DC.
