Foreign embassies have been disinvited from an annual Washington event commemorating the end of World War II in Europe this week, after a group of European embassies protested the organizers’ decision to include ambassadors from Russia and its close ally Belarus.
The invitation to the Russians and Belarusians marked the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that the two nations were invited to the May 8 ceremony, which is organized by the Friends of the National World War II Memorial, a non-profit organization.
European Protests and Disinvitation
A number of European ambassadors banded together to threaten to boycott the event, according to three European officials. That prompted the nonprofit to withdraw invitations to all foreign embassies, leaving the United States as the only formal participant in an event that has regularly drawn European ambassadors and symbolizes close historic transatlantic ties.
Organizers sent an email Tuesday telling embassies that the event — which this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the conflict — is now an America-only ceremony.
“We have made the decision to scale back this year’s ceremony to keep the focus squarely on the 16 million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II,” the group said in the email, which was obtained by POLITICO.
Geopolitical Ramifications and Backlash
The dustup underscores how toxic any formal engagement with Russia remains for many of the United States’ closest allies amid the war in Ukraine — while the Trump administration looks to re-engage with Moscow in peace talks to end the war. It comes one month before the annual NATO leaders meeting in The Hague, where the raw feelings between Washington and its closest allies in Europe will likely be on display as those leaders come face-to-face with President Donald Trump, who is expected to attend and again demand that NATO allies increase their defense spending significantly.
One senior European official familiar with the matter called the idea of inviting Russia to the event as a “slap in the face.” This official said the invitation to embassies were likely withdrawn because of the sharp backlash. Like others, the official was granted anonymity to speak candidly on internal diplomatic reactions to the event.
Repercussions and Exclusion
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch an unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths and the largest war in Europe since World War II. U.N. investigators have accused Russian forces occupying Ukraine of myriad atrocities including the murder of civilians and systematic torture and sexual violence.
One foreign embassy official said the group had told event organizers it would be impossible for them to participate, explaining, “We cannot put a wreath with our national colors next to a Russian wreath.”
Final Implications and Event Details
Friends of World War II Memorial spokesperson Scott Warner confirmed via email that while allies normally participate in war commemoration events, “no embassy representatives will participate in this year’s ceremony as part of the official program.” The White House noted that the event is not organized by the administration and declined to comment further.
A second official described the initial list of invitees as “a very strange group,” noting that it includes not only Russia, but Brazil and Slovakia, while excluding the Czech Republic, which broke from Slovakia in 1992.
A copy of the original invitation obtained by POLITICO lists Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovak Republic, Ukraine and the U.K.
The event, which will feature performances by the U.S. Army band, speeches by National Parks officials and a recognition of American veterans of WWII, will now likely be much smaller than other celebrations in allied capitals.
