Victory Day proposed for May 8 as US president demands nation celebrate WWII success

President Donald Trump announced that he plans to designate May 8 as “Victory Day” in the United States to commemorate the Allied victory in World War II, coinciding with “Victory in Europe Day” celebrated in much of Europe since 1945.

Trump acknowledged in a Truth Social that "many of our allies and friends" already celebrate on May 8, but said America should join in because "we did more than any other Country, by far, in producing a victorious result," Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The Germans officially surrendered to the Allied forces on May 7, 1945, agreeing to cease all operations the following day. While World War II formally ended with Japan’s surrender on September 2, 1945, the May 8 date remains significant for Europe, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany.

In the United States, there is no official public holiday dedicated to World War II. However, remembrance ceremonies have been held throughout the years in May, August, and September. Former President Harry Truman, who was in office at the war's end, issued a proclamation in 1946 to observe August 14 as “Victory Over Japan Day,” recognizing the end of hostilities with Japan following the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Trump's proposal to designate May 8 as a national “Victory Day” follows in the footsteps of several of America’s European allies. “Many of our allies and friends already celebrate on May 8,” Trump acknowledged, but he emphasized that the US should join in, given its central role in the war's outcome. He also announced that November 11 would be recognized as World War I “Victory Day.”

In his post, Trump remarked, “We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance, but we never celebrate anything. That’s because we don’t have leaders anymore, that know how to do so! We are going to start celebrating our victories again!”

The announcement has sparked discussions on the role of commemoration in the US and the significance of recognizing wartime achievements.

By Vafa Guliyeva