The United States is erecting a 7-foot-tall statue of former President Ronald Reagan at its Berlin embassy after a decade of trying to persuade Berlin to honor the late president.

City officials declined numerous requests by U.S. officials and dignitaries to honor Reagan with a statue. Berlin officials argued that a statue was unnecessary because Reagan was already an honorary citizen of the city. They also said honoring Reagan would be unfair to others who also supported the city against Soviet occupation after World War II.