U.S., Russia allies again: Vershbow

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MOSCOW, May 8 (UPI) -- The United States and Russia are allies now just as they were in World War II, the U.S. ambassador to Moscow said Saturday.

"We give thanks that over the past 60 years we have progressed to the point that former enemies are now allies and we once again have good relations with the countries that made up the Soviet Union," U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow told Russia's Interfax news agency. He was interviewed before President George W. Bush's scheduled weekend visit to Moscow to attend ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in May 1945.

The president's visit "will underscore the United States' commitment to advancing the causes of freedom, prosperity, and tolerance in Europe, its neighborhood, and beyond," Vershbow said.