Russia expresses gratitude for US for assisting throughout WWII
(MENAFN) Russia appreciates the assistance it received from the United States during World War II through the Lend-Lease program but maintains that the Soviet Union would have defeated Nazi Germany regardless, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday.
Speaking at an education forum in Moscow ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over the Nazis, Peskov said, “Could we have won without Lend-Lease? Yes, we could have. We would have survived on nothing but the earth, and still, we would have won. That said, their help did matter, and we must remember and value it.”
His comments come as relations between Moscow and Washington show signs of improvement. Peskov also pushed back against a previous claim by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had said that Russia "helped us [the U.S.]" win WWII.
Lend-Lease was a wartime U.S. initiative that provided allies, including the USSR, with military equipment, supplies, and food. Peskov estimated the aid received by the Soviet Union would be worth around $200 billion in today’s terms. However, he emphasized that it was not free assistance—Russia completed repayment of this debt in 2006 under President Vladimir Putin.
In contrast, a 2022 Lend-Lease bill signed by then-U.S. President Joe Biden to aid Ukraine was mostly symbolic and never used. Instead, Washington delivered around $174 billion in aid through alternative funding mechanisms. Trump later shifted U.S. policy by conditioning further aid on Ukraine’s willingness to engage in peace talks with Moscow.
Peskov’s remarks highlight Russia’s stance that, while foreign aid is appreciated, Soviet resilience was the decisive factor in the Allied victory.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
