Why the United States and Russia are Reviving the "Spirit of Elba" Today: TASS announced the Launch of a New International Peace Movement

The press conference "The Spirit of Elba International Peace Movement: from the Historic Meeting in 1945 to Joint Projects for a Peaceful Future" was held on November 2, 2026 at the TASS press center. The journalists were presented with the strategic initiatives of the International Peace Movement "Spirit of Elba", combining the preservation of the memory of the alliance between the USSR and the USA during the Second World War with the development of modern public diplomacy projects.

Opening the conference, Andrei Belyaninov, Secretary General of the World Peoples Assembly, noted that the meeting of Soviet and American troops on the Elbe in 1945 was a worldwide symbol of commitment to the principles of anti–fascism and hope for the development of friendly relations between peoples with different ideologies, as well as for the consolidation of world peace.:

- These were Soviet and American soldiers and officers who showed how to communicate, moving away from political likes and dislikes. They set the tone for decades to come.

The Secretary General also noted that the efforts of the World Peoples Assembly today are aimed at historical justice, including ensuring that young people know the truth about the events of the Second World War. The meeting on the Elbe is one of the glorious pages of history, showing an example of truly friendly relations that contribute to the creation of the future.

Joseph Wolf (USA), a public figure and the son of a participant in the historic meeting on the Elbe, spoke about the events of that memorable meeting in his video message. His father, Private First-Class Joseph Polowski, was part of the detachment that established historical contact with Soviet troops on the Elbe.

- Today, the world needs new bridges - between peoples, between cultures and between people who view the world differently... True unity requires honesty about the past, respect for the sacrifices of our ancestors, and the courage to build a future that will not remain trapped in yesterday's conflicts, - said Joseph Wolf.

The topic was continued by historian, Professor, Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at the American University Peter Kuznik. Connecting online from the United States, he reminded the audience that the world is in crisis right now. He said that he had recently sent a letter to the Pope calling for an emergency summit with Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump to prevent an impending catastrophe (including a nuclear strike on Iran). According to him, the letter has already been signed by more than 250 world leaders - both former and current. Peter Kuznik urged everyone to think:

- Right now, the world is on the verge of a choice: either the path of peaceful resolution and disarmament awaits us, or the path of war. The rich want war, and the young want the future... And we have to choose the world, choose the "Spirit of Elba.

Andrey Gasiorovsky, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board of the international Helping Hand Coalition network (Poland/Israel) said that he was born in Poland, which lost 6 million people during World War II, and today Poland and Germany are very friendly.

According to him, the "Spirit of Elba" is the hope that "it will be different," despite the fact that relations are currently in crisis. This hope is especially needed in the Middle East right now. He said that his organization plans, together with the World Peoples Assembly, to create a television channel broadcasting to 180 countries and hold a Middle East global forum. Andrei Gasiorovsky also invited the World Peoples Assembly to join the humanitarian projects that his organization is currently actively implementing in Gaza.

​​​​​John Varoli, a journalist and international public relations expert from the USA, noted that the United States currently does not provide reliable information about historical events such as the Elbe meeting. To solve this problem, he proposed to the World Peoples Assembly to open a branch in New York, Washington and Chicago. The "Spirit of Elba" today, the journalist is sure, paves the way for a strategic partnership.

- The Bering Strait complex and the Arctic are really a big springboard for strategic cooperation today. A new international project would be an excellent reason for our countries to act and work together, to stop this senseless destructive hostility, - he said.

Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Berg Institute of Cybernetics and Educational Informatics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, author of more than 400 scientific papers on mathematics, computer science and educational theory Alexey Semenov spoke about his work together with Academician Evgeny Velikhov, for whom the establishment of relations between the USSR and the USA and nuclear disarmament were a matter of paramount importance. The scientist urged to pay attention to the importance of cooperation in education:

- Now, due to the problems of artificial intelligence, the world is changing at a fantastic rate, and it is very important that countries that are not at the top of the ranking in terms of the power of computers and artificial intelligence systems have access to common platforms on which humanitarian cooperation can develop.

Valery Ruzin, Deputy Secretary General of the World Peoples Assembly, President of the Vladimir Menshov International Film Festival “Won Together”, noted that there are many bright moments in the history of Russia and the United States that should not be forgotten and that should be made public. It is the shared memory of joint achievements that provides a stable foundation for shaping a new common future. The speaker emphasized that the creation of the International Peace Movement "Spirit of Elba" was proposed by American colleagues, and the World Peoples Assembly supported it.

- Today we begin the work of our International Peace Movement. The basis of its activity is the oath given by veterans in 1985 at a meeting in Torgau, - he said.

Valery Ruzin also recalled that at the Second World Public Assembly on September 19, Peter Kuznik proposed the creation of the "+10 seconds" project, which would aggregate all peace initiatives aimed at turning the Doomsday Clock back another 10 seconds.

During the discussion, participants from the audience raised questions about the prospects of Russia - America relations, about preserving the memory of Chkalov's flight, as well as about the fate of the Russian-American commission on prisoners of war.

Answering a question from the audience about the prospects of Russian-American and Russian-European relations, Andrei Belyaninov noted that citizens of 154 countries, including "unfriendly" countries, took part in the Second World Public Assembly, which was held in Moscow in September 2026:

- They came because no one forbade them... And politicians come and go. As for Europe, probably many of them learned for D-es: they don't know history, they don't know geography. Let's just feel pity. Maybe the time will come when people in power there will be more competent, more literate and respectful of the peoples’ destinies. For now, we're just saying, "Guys, let's live together."

He also offered to join Peter Kuznik's letter addressed to the Pope, and stated the need to recreate the veterans' organization: "Until the last soldier is buried, the war is not over."

The moderator thanked all the participants, expressing the hope that the connections that appear and grow stronger thanks to public diplomacy will lead to the creation of the largest network of like-minded people on the planet - "united by the Spirit of Elba."

Additional information is available on the official website of the World Peoples Assembly, on its VKontakte and Telegram accounts, and at media@world-assembly.org.

Photo Archive (photographer – Mikhail Denisov)