"For the second year in a row, the efforts of the US administration disrupted the trip of American participants in World War II to the Victory Parade," Antonov said. "Unprecedented pressure was put on the WWII front-line soldiers. They were even intimidated with the cancellation of their passports so that they could not fly to Russia and take part in the celebration of the 78th anniversary of the Great Victory."
Antonov pointed out that the American veterans have been waiting for a trip to Moscow for a long time, hoped to see the Red Square and hug their brothers in arms.
"They understand that next year it will be even more difficult," the Ambassador said. "The American authorities, in essence, did not allow the dream of the front-line soldiers to come true, they did not allow new embraces of veterans, now in the center of Moscow."
Antonov underscored that this step is insulting not only for the veterans who fought against Nazism, but also for everyone who remembers the sacred feat.
"We want American veterans to know that Russia is proud of their contribution to the common Victory. The hostile US policy will not undermine the camaraderie of the Great Patriotic War," he said. "We consider it our duty to defend the truth about the heroes."
The United States and its European allies are commemorating the 78th anniversary of defeating Nazi Germany on May 8. Since the document on Germany's unconditional surrender was signed in 1945 when the new day had already begun in Moscow, Russia and almost all of the former Soviet republics celebrate Victory Day on May 9. Since 1945, a parade of service people and military equipment has been held on the Red Square to honor the memory of Soviet citizens who had died during World War II.