WASHINGTON, May 8. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to Washington Alexander Darchiev said that grounds for optimism exist regarding the normalization of Russia-US relations.

"I remain an optimist by profession, and there are grounds for optimism, although the process is extremely difficult and events are also taking a tragic turn. I believe, however, that we will eventually find a sustainable trajectory. To achieve that, we must restore normalcy in our bilateral relations," he told journalists during a gala reception commemorating the upcoming 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War.

The reception at the Russian Embassy in Washington drew members of the foreign diplomatic corps, compatriots, American experts and public figures, US administration officials, and Soviet and US veterans. Musicians performed wartime songs, and embassy school students also took part.

A photo exhibition dedicated to the Day of Remembrance for the victims of the genocide of the Soviet people by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Great Patriotic War was also on display.