Soldiers raising the flag of Soviet Union on the roof of Reichstag building in Berlin, May, 1945. Original photograph by Yevgeny Khaldei
Washington Post: One thing is missing from Russia’s WWII remembrance — the Allies
MOSCOW — Russia’s vast celebrations Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany had nearly everything: 16,000 marching soldiers, medal-bedecked veterans and families carrying photographs of those who died long ago.
But conspicuously absent from the memorial of the Soviet Union’s joint victory with the West were the leaders of those wartime allied nations. A year into a conflict in Ukraine that the West says is fueled by the Kremlin, the tribunes in Red Square were stocked with officials from nations that had little association with the Soviet Union’s painful wartime sacrifices. Even some Kremlin critics said they were disappointed by the snub.
A decade ago, President George W. Bush sat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin on stands in front of Lenin’s Tomb to observe the 60th anniversary. A decade before that, President Bill Clinton came to Moscow in an emotional post-Cold War visit. But on Saturday, the most prominent visitor’s seat went to Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom Putin has tried to build bridges as relations with the West have soured because of the war in Ukraine.
Update: Don’t forget how the Soviet Union saved the world from Hitler -- Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post
WNU Editor: I live in Montreal and yesterday's focus was on the good weather and a Montreal Canadiens hockey game. I talk to my cousins in Moscow .... it was all talk about the parade and the end of the Second World War celebrations. Talk about a disconnect.
12 comments:
The Soviet Union/Russia was the indispensable nation in defeating Nazi Germany. Had the US not participated Nazi Germany still loses but it might have taken longer to defeat it with more lives lost.
Had America thrown everything it had at Nazi Germany completely ignoring Japan along with its "allies" and the Soviet Union not participated, Nazi Germany wins WWII. For "Western" leaders not to acknowledge this is unconscionable and stupid.
This would have/could have been an opportunity for American leaders to show real leadership and to participate along side the Russians in this situation essentially telling "Western" European leaders to start acting like adults and not like petulant children!!
Of course Western European leaders can act in such a manner in provoking Russia on things like Ukraine. Should this thing get worse it will be America and not them who will bear the brunt of the Russian military reprisal. If America makes it clear to the EU that it will NOT back them on this, perhaps change could be made.
Can change be made? Past history would seem to indicate the US lacks the cojones to break with its Western European masters.
Somehow this celebration is like a cold soup for some countries ,in special in the east. Putin and majority of russian population and they grandfathers ,actually believe that they have eliberate eastern countries from the nazy ,when in reality they have have done some similar atrocities in the end! And now they actually have the guts to say that NATO is against them, that is evil ,fascis, zionist etc, but never ask why it neighbors have run so fast to the alliance!! Maybe because some specific border russian countries, they have no love for Russia? Or maybe because russia force them to do so ? :) In the end i do not have some specific hate or something , against russian people ,(i myself been a half russian) I just not like it government... and some choices .... because some are stupidity...and many people suffers of that choices. In the end if they were to prove to USA rong...by not doing the same thing , it will be a Win. All respect for the veterans.
how maby times is it now that us gov has attacked russia i believe tey let germany try and defeat ussr and when ussr startednto destroy germansvus said oh shit there gona get to berlin first and then us army came in barly 2 before war was over next one cold war which did break up ussr ,a.the afghan-soviet war anr now tryn to use ukraine coup war to attack russia ther mayh more but these are top ones so u see there is a clear pattern of us gov tryn to destroy and take over russia like rest of world us hegemony
sorry bout letter mistakes
Please try not to be that red ! In the end Stalin whas at the bigining whith Hitler(Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact) unlike USA ,after 44 , 45 a force comunism over estern europe by Stalin order. After that a cat and mouse game until 89,90.A peace and mutual respect way between west and east was until....Putin came to power to remind us of former glory of USSR and how (whith all respect) how F....P whas in the past.
Peter,
The primary goals of the US government are as follows: 1.)cave up Israel and give a portion of its land to the Arabs in a state called "Palestine", 2.)fight against the myth of man caused "global warming", 3.)advance the gay rights agenda in America, 4.)undermine the role of law enforcement promoting riots to gain domestic political advantage, 5.)create a sub class of people dependent on government hand outs to ensure domestic electoral success, and 6.)promote democracy around the world.
Actually point 6 is probably much higher on the list, probably somewhere around 2. Nonetheless I think the reader can get the idea. In other words, breaking up Russia is nowhere on the list at least from a broad geopolitical point of view. If you lived in America or actually followed America as opposed to the anti-American propaganda that permeates the main stream media you would understand these things.
This is not to defend certain decisions by America's political elite. In fact, the commitment to point 6 combined with the guilt many Americans feel about their country makes both the American people and the leadership especially susceptible to manipulation.
As I think I've pointed out elsewhere, the current sanctions against Russia are the gift that keeps on giving to Vladimir Putin. In fact, I can't but wonder if pro-Russian moles buried deep in the US government suggested this policy and brought it to fruition. I wouldn't expect the pro-Putin media to ever explore this possibility.
I meant fight for the myth of global warming not against it. In other words, cripple the US and any other economies when possible to fight the myth of global warming/climate change in the name of some ideological battle. Essentially a grand plan to break up Russia for the advancement of American geo political interests, while perhaps on the list, is so far down the list as to not factor into current or foreseeable decision making. Of course the US could stupidly blunder into conflict with the likes of Russia, china, or others as it has done in the past.
HB: The "cold soup" analogy is interesting. If Eastern European nations really feel this way toward Russia, I'd suggest that they renounce their NATO memberships forthwith and announce they want nothing whatsoever to do with it and will vigorously oppose any efforts to ally with it or it's advancement. Instead of this I'd suggest they form a defense alliance among themselves completely independent of NATO.
Membership in NATO is problematic for a number of reasons. Just to list a few, 1.)America is heavily infiltrated by Russian and Chinese moles who will instantly inform the Russians and the Chinese of any military efforts being undertaken by the Americans meaning anything these nations should share with America cannot be kept confidential and the American government cannot be trusted, 2.)Due to a series of fruitless nation building operations around the world basic national defense for the American mainland is going to be problematic for the foreseeable future. In other words, the resources necessary for America to contribute towards the defense of Eastern Europe are simply not available. 3.) America has huge problems at home. As such, many Americans look upon Eastern European nations with utter contempt seeing that vital American resources are being drained presumably to defend them and advance their interests. From the perspective of many in America, this feels like an abusive relationship with America being the abused and Eastern European nations being the abusers and thus they want out of this relationship forthwith.
At some point, they may want American help and America may be capable of providing it. By cutting ties with NATO such help is much more likely to come and to be given freely as an equal partner. I'm not saying the abusive relationship analogy is necessarily correct but to a number of Americans it certainly looks this way.
To summarize, if one wishes to change the "cold soup" situation in Eastern Europe, the first step would seem to be to cut ties with NATO. Due to the Russian infiltration of the American government such membership has negative utility, the Americans are unable, and likely unwilling to contribute to this.
The US government is far more worried about the things mentioned above to worry much if at all about US hegemony. Of course to accuse the US of this makes for great propaganda by the nation's enemies.
b.poster -im shocked at no1 carve up israel there expanding into palestine all time way bigger now than 5-10 yrs ago us war mad always has been since its own civil war started ball rolling and then oil,gas they want it all dont they everyones i agree with 2-4-5 6 should be way higher at least no 2 to a degree that there promoting there form of demorcracy our rules do wot we say or be crushed and ur last point they are biuoding an empire or tryn to bases all over world ,vassal states all over world spyn on world sounds like there trn to be empire to me
After reading some comment :)) .....in the end ,;) i am reminded sometimes, why a whisky is better than a vodka ....i serious thank you people for your existence...:x . There is hope yet.
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