In case you haven't heard it yet, today is a national holiday! Donald Trump has signed a proclamation officially declaring May 8 as Victory Day for World War II. The newly created holiday will be celebrated to commemorate the “Allied Powers' triumph” in 1945,

President Donald Trump has issued a proclamation designating Thursday as a day for the United States to celebrate victory during World War II

Europe is marking one of its most joyous days in history. The 80th anniversary of the end of World War II on the continent was on Thursday.

Victory Day, celebrated on May 9, is Russia’s most important secular holiday, reflecting its wartime sacrifice. But it’s also used by the Kremlin to bolster patriotism and regain the superpower prestige it lost when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

President Vladimir Putin is hosting Russia’s celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The outcome of the war he started in Ukraine remains far from certain.

Russia is marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day as a few dozen leaders fly in to watch and meet with Putin. Victory day has become an opportunity for Russia to try to frame the Ukraine war in the same light as the second world war.