16 August 2016, 19:03 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Tefft's remarks came ahead of his trip to Russia's Arkhangelsk later this month, where he plans to attend the ceremonial commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the first lend-lease convoy, code-named Dervish, who delivered military equipment to Russia which was in war with Nazi Germany.
"It is just and appropriate that we and our Russian hosts commemorate this Arctic convoy, because it reminds us that the United States and Russia were able to work together at a critical time in world history. I believe we are capable of doing so again, and we must," Tefft wrote in his Livejournal account.
In March 1941, the US Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act authorizing arms supplies to its allies who were in war with Nazi Germany. In November 1941, the first aid convoy arrived in northern sea ports of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. A total of 4.2 million tonnes of arms and armaments were delivered from the United States to the Soviet Union during World War II.
