Readers React: Putin didn’t belong at D-day memorial

The article states: “Some say the [Ukraine] land grab carries uncomfortable echoes of the border-crossing aggression that Moscow and Washington joined forces to defeat in World War II.” (“Obama, Putin talk briefly at D-day 70th anniversary event,” June 6)

This is a rather facile reading of history. The facts are that the Soviet Union provided crucial support in terms of raw materials and more to the German war machine, ending only with the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Not only did the Soviet Union invade Poland soon after the Nazis did but also Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Finland and Romania.

Of course, after the war the Soviets occupied most of Eastern Europe, essentially also an invasion.

Based on that and on the recent invasion of Ukraine, it was really a moral atrocity to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the D-day celebrations. D-day was about overthrowing tyranny and restoring liberty. Putin is all about restoring tyranny.

Jaco van der Colff

Woodland Hills