Russian Ambassador to Attend Memorial Event for WWII Anniversary

The Russian Ambassador to Germany, Sergej Netschajew, is set to participate in a memorial ceremony commemorating the end of World War II, marking its 80th anniversary. This event will take place in Torgau, Saxony, on April 25, 2025, where the historic meeting of American and Soviet troops along the Elbe River is to be recognized. A spokesperson from the Russian Embassy in Berlin confirmed that the ambassador would honor the invitation from the city of Torgau and attend the scheduled activities.

Among the attendees will be the Minister-President of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, representing the CDU party. However, it has been indicated that the United States will not send an official representative to this memorial. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Berlin communicated that the U.S. consulate in Leipzig is unable to attend the ceremony this year.

According to city officials in Torgau, no specific invitations were extended to embassies. However, several foreign missions, including the Russian embassy, were informed about the public event in February. Torgau's mayor, Henrik Simon, stated that the embassy had expressed interest in the ambassador speaking at the event, but this request was declined to avoid providing a platform for the ambassador.

In addition to Minister-President Kretschmer, other speakers at the memorial will include a representative from the Protestant Church and the managing director of the Saxon Memorials Foundation. A wreath-laying ceremony is also planned as part of the commemoration.

Last week, Netschajew's participation in a memorial event at Seelow Heights, east of Berlin, sparked significant controversy. This site was the location of one of the largest battles of World War II, resulting in the deaths of approximately 35,000 Soviet, 16,000 German, and 2,000 Polish soldiers.

The German Foreign Office had previously advised against allowing official Russian representatives to participate in World War II memorial events. This recommendation was based on concerns that Russia might exploit such events to draw parallels with its ongoing military actions in Ukraine.

Furthermore, the President of the Bundestag, Julia Klöckner, has excluded the ambassadors of Russia and Belarus from the central memorial event set for May 8 at the German Parliament, where President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is scheduled to speak.

Torgau holds an annual remembrance on April 25, known as Elbe Day, which commemorates the encounter between American and Soviet soldiers at the destroyed Elbe Bridge. The iconic handshake photograph taken in Torgau became a symbol of the end of the war and the liberation from Nazi tyranny.

During the 75th anniversary in 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump issued a joint statement honoring the occasion, highlighting the spirit of cooperation between their countries. However, the memorial events were canceled in 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Torgau officials stating that the current situation rendered such gatherings inappropriate.