Allies Join Forces for Russia's Victory Day Celebration

In the New York Times article titled "Western Troops Join Russia's in Victory Day Celebration", published on May 9, Clifford Levy tells of western participation in Russia's largest secular holiday celebrating the Allies victory over Nazi Germany. The participation by NATO countries including France, the U.S., and Britain, signified Russia's improved relations with the West. In the past Russia has used the Victory Day celebration to show its western sentiments as Putin utilized it to instill hostilities towards the U.S., but this year Medvedev gladly shared the glory of the Allies victory with the other countries in attendance. However, not all shared his sentiment. There were some, mainly Communists and Nationalists, that protested the other countries' participation, although most saw it as a sign of respect. In Russia WWII is "intensely memorialized and dramatized" seeing as Russia lost approximately 25 million lives, and therefore the Russian citizens do not mind the display of such symbols as the sickle and hammer on Victory Day.

This Victory Day Celebration exhibits a huge shift in foreign relations between Russia and the West, and the friendliness should hold for quite some time. However, the protestations of some signify a social cleavage between those that trust the West and those who continue to remain suspicious.