West says 'Nyet' to Russia VE celebration

China's Xi Jinping was there. India's Pranab Mukherjee was there. Even Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro was there. Conspicuously absent was any leader from the US or its anti Russian allies England and France. The boycotted event was Russia's 70th anniversary celebration in Moscow of their victory over Nazi Germany. It's a signal that renewed tensions between the West and Russia are at their lowest point since the old Soviet system collapsed in 1991. At that time we promised Russia we wouldn't try to expand NATO into former Russian satellite states, but expand we did, including our despicable Western inspired Ukraine coup in February, 2014, that woke up the Russian Bear who promptly annexed Crimea (with a 96% Crimean approval rating) to protect their naval base from Western aggression.

America's demonization of Russia is not only wrong; it's stupid. Driving Russia into deep alliances with emerging powers China and India is counterproductive to maintaining American influence.

All this nonsense is in part, a consequence of the untimely death of FDR on April 12, 1945. Franklin got along famously with Uncle Joe Stalin. There was mutual trust between them that Stalin and Russia, devastated by two western invasions in 27 years, needed a buffer on its borders, whereas FDR and the US needed a Europe largely free of communist intervention. But FDR's death elevated an insecure Harry Truman to the presidency. Clueless on the subtleties of foreign diplomacy, Truman was mincemeat for the anti communist fanatics like Secretary of State James Byrne, who goaded Truman into a bellicose anti Russian posture, virtually guaranteeing the next half century of Cold War anxiety.

Part of our absence at Russia's 70th VE celebration has to do with the narrative the West concocted at VE Day that victory was all their glory. The demonization of communism required us to denigrate the Russian cost of 26 million souls, the absence of which may have doubled or tripled the American loss of 450,000. Russia's pain may well have saved Britain from being conquered.

It's time for the US and allies to end their new Cold War against Russia. Admit we were wrong in expanding NATO into Russia's neighborhood, including the wrongheaded and self destructive Ukraine coup. Add Russia to its rightful place in the VE story. And next year send a high level representative to the Russian VE celebration.