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D-Day memorial represents a peaceful Europe

By Zhang Jingwei: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, June 14, 2014

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(from L) US President Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth of Britain, French President Francois Hollande, Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Russian President Vladimir Putin participate in a group photo of world leaders attending the D-Day 70th Anniversary ceremonies at Chateau de Benouville in Benouville, France, June 6, 2014. [Xinhua photo]

The Normandy Landing (termed D-Day) memorial ceremony was held for politicians rather than veterans, as there are only a few veterans still alive.

In commemorating the turning point of the European battlefield 70 years ago when the magnificent and intensive landing crushed the military power of Nazi Germany, the politicians sent a strong signal that history has never been and will never be forgotten.

Among the distinguished line of the 20 state leaders stood Russian President Vladimir Putin, the leader of a country which has suffered rounds of sanctions from the United States and Europe and was kicked out of the G8, a group of eight leading industrialized countries, including the United States, the UK, Germany and France, as a result of its involvement in the Crimea crisis in Ukraine.

Exclusion from the G8 surely in no way led to the absence of Russia in the D-Day memorial ceremony, as it is widely known that without Russia, the Allies could hardly end the war in Europe. The 70th anniversary of D-Day without Putin could have drawn a new iron curtain of the Cold War and lost its peaceful significance.

The countries of Europe have been on the verge of Cold War during recent months. The isolation enrages Russia, which seems desperate to protect its interests at any cost. And the uncompromised Russia embarrassed the European countries, which later softened their attitudes to mediate between the United States and Russia even when Uncle Sam raised its voice to slam Putin and threatened to impose more stringent sanctions.

The European countries, who suffered enough from the two World Wars in the last century, are more steadfast than any time about maintaining peace in the region. Although the European countries stood firm when political crisis swept Ukraine, they are not so obstinate to trigger a widespread war across the continent merely because of the Ukrainian political turmoil. Therefore, the concerns of Europe and the United States over the sanctions on Russia are different and the disagreement gives Russia the opportunity to plan its countermeasures.

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