A Withering Tree Of Peace
As the drums of war beat louder and the warmongering rhetoric becomes shrill, a group of Russian and American activists assembled in downtown Moscow to replant yet again the symbolic U.S.-Russia friendship birch tree that was initially planted nine years ago.
It has had to be replaced several times as the trees have struggled to survive. Some say it’s because of the severe weather, and some, with a sense of humor, believe it’s because of a toxic atmosphere between the two countries poisoning the tree.
The first one was planted on April 24, 2015, on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the historic “Elbe River” meeting of the American and Soviet military on April 25, 1945, which became symbolic of their joint victory over Nazi Germany.