by Noah Rothman
America’s irreplaceable contribution to winning that world war and preventing another deserves to be the object of adoration.
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Left: Fireworks explode over St. Basil’s cathedral on Victory Day in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2022. Right: A person places flowers at the Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park, as people visit in commemoration of Victory Day, in Berlin, Germany, May 8, 2025.
Maxim Shemetov, Lisi Niesner/Reuters
You’re unlikely to hear me say this often, but the Russians have this one figured out.
Although the regime in Moscow observes the allied victory over Nazi Germany in the only way it knows how — with insecure displays of martial muscularity — at least it understands that V-E Day deserves to be celebrated. Over the decades, observance of V-E Day in the West has assumed a more muted, solemn tone. That is, when it is remembered at all.
About the Author
Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.
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You’re unlikely to hear me say this often, but the Russians have this one figured out.
Although the regime in Moscow observes the allied victory over Nazi Germany in the only way it knows how — with insecure displays of martial muscularity — at least it understands that V-E Day deserves to be celebrated. Over the decades, observance of V-E Day in the West has assumed a more muted, solemn tone. That is, when it is remembered at all.
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About the Author
Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.
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