70 years after World War II, Russia still feels snubbed, The Economist explains

Russia celebrated its 70th Victory Day without its WWII allies — (Image credit: The Economist/YouTube)

On Saturday, Russia celebrated its 70th Victory Day, marking Nazi Germany's surrender at the end of World War II. Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over a parade in Moscow full of Russian military might, including ICBMs and 16,000 marching soldiers. Missing? The leaders of the other Allied powers that helped defeat the Nazis — Britain, France, and the U.S. sent only minor dignitaries.

The leaders of India and China, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and several other heads of state were at the parade, but tensions over Russia's aggression in Ukraine kept many world leaders away. On Sunday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel laid a wreath at a Moscow war memorial with Putin, but Russians feel snubbed.

More than 20 million Russians died in World War II, far more than in any other nation, and the absence of its former Allies widely served as "a reminder to Russians that their overwhelming contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany was never properly recognized by Britain and America," The Economist explains in the video below. That's one reason anti-Americanism is rampant in Russia, but it's not the whole story. Watch below for a snapshot of how Russia views the West today, and vice versa. —Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.