Sixty years ago, Nazi Germany was defeated. World leaders gathered in Moscow this week to commemorate that victory over evil. Many will wonder why that celebration was held in Moscow. That such a question could be asked is a stark reminder of the speed with which the past is receding. It is reveals why so many Russians feel lost and angered at their place in the world.
It took a global alliance of nations to defeat Nazi Germany. All countries suffered during the conflict, but none more than the Soviet Union. Some 27 million Soviet citizens died during "the Great Patriotic War," as it is known today in Russia. That country assumed the burden of the Nazi onslaught.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a speech during the celebration, "grief came to every family, every home." Today many Russians still wonder whether their allies delayed opening a second European front so that Berlin and Moscow would weaken and wear each other out.