BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement in honor of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II (WWII) in Europe:
“On the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), the transatlantic community celebrates the end of WWII in Europe and the defeat of Nazism,” said Risch. “While today is a day to celebrate the victory over fascism and its hateful ideology, we also solemnly remember the sacrifices made by millions of Allied servicemen & women, and European resistance fighters, millions of whom who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. We must also remember the innocent civilians, including six million European Jews, who senselessly lost their lives to a bloodthirsty regime. Sadly, this date also marks the beginning of the consolidation of Soviet power over Central and Eastern Europe and the entrenchment of another murderous authority.”
“VE Day is also a time to celebrate the eight decades of our transatlantic alliance built on shared values and the peace and prosperity that it has brought,” Risch continued. “As we struggle with the global COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of life and economic damage that it has inflicted, we are reminded on this anniversary that together we can and will emerge from dark times once again. As we rebuild, Europe and the United States must again look to each other as key partners in this effort, just as we did in the aftermath of WWII.”