Bush calls Russia a 'friend'

US President George W. Bush declared today "Russia is not an enemy, Russia is our friend", a day after returning from a sometimes tense visit over US calls for democratic reforms in the region of the former Soviet Union.

Mr Bush returned yesterday from a trip to Russia, Latvia, Georgia and the Netherlands holding out the Baltic states as an example of democracy for Russia.

"Sitting in Red Square honouring the veterans of World War II was an amazing event. I remember as a kid watching the missiles parade through Red Square - and here I sat as the president of the United States in Red Square, paying homage to people who died to defeat Nazism," Mr Bush said at the start of a meeting with members of Congress about his Europe trip.

"And I was sitting beside a friend. Russia is not an enemy, Russia is our friend," Mr Bush said.

"And it's important that we work together to achieve peace. Obviously, we have a difference of opinion on certain issues, but we don't have a difference of opinion on working together for peace."

Mr Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin stood side by side watching the pageantry in Red Square on Monday, along with other world leaders who paid tribute to Soviet war losses in defeating the Nazi Germany.

Oh I totally agree with that, China is enemy numoro pronto, if the EU doesn't take their place next. Islam is only an issue because we, Russia, India, etc cut our own tendons rather then deal with them with all our might. We could settle this crap in 45 minutes, making Mecca glow and then proceed city by city till they get the point.

Russia is hated by the globalists because Putin, unlike Yeltsin, is a nationalist and protectionist. He's hated by the left because he makes Bush look left in comparison on his economic/religious policies (imagine our government banning abortions after 12 weeks AND providing Christian education courses in the Public schools and military...GASP!) One of the national Russian TV channels began Orthodox Easter by playing the Passion of the Christ! On an ABC/CBS type network!

But most of all, they see Putin as a weak spot to get Bush. They also hate Putin for being the only world leader to endorse Bush at all (3 times actually) during the election and for slamming Kerry as good for the terrorists. Remember, when Putin was against Iraq, he was the MSM's super hero.

treacherous winter months that turned the blitzkreig into a frozenkreig, because you guys were up against a wall, and our troops hammered them in the West, disrupted the nazi oil supplies, and...." need I go on?

Winter didn't defeat the nazis. This just isn't true. I suspect this is a hold over saying from the Napoleonic wars applied to WWII.

The majority of the killing on the Eastern front took place before D-day. By D-day, the Russians were well on their way to defeating the nazis. Also, the vast majority of the causualties for the whole war took place on the Eastern front. I disgree with the Russians on just about everything, though I respect their sacrifices and will give them credit for sharing the lions load of the fighting. I thus I honor the war dead regardless of side. I just don't believe we Americans should hog all the credit for the defeat of nazi Germany.

What oil supplies did we disrupt that was so costly to the nazi war effort?

Our destruction of Germany's industrial base was far more helpful to the Russian war effort than anything you've mentioned.

Truth is, if we never landed at D-day, the USSR would have encompassed most of Europe.

Many Americans believe that Russia would not have survived without the Lend Lease program. I too believed this for all long time. However, the Soviets manufactured almost every weapon system they used during the war. The trucks/clothing/food and planes we sent them allowed them to more quickly attack the nazi posistions and ultimately take Berlin. I do not believe it changed the outcome of the war. Germany would still have been defeated.

My opinion is that the turning point of the war was the advent of the T-34. Until this time, the Russians had no real ability to fight off the panzer divisions, nor the ability to sustain a coordinated attack. The T-34 was an excellent design for the time. I believe it was the first true slopping armor tank. It had a 76mm gun that was good enough to penetrate the frontal armor of the mark IVs and they also built these with an 84mm (83?) gun that was also very effective. But more importantly, the T-34 was a simple design and very EASY to manufacture. Thus, the soviets mass produced so many of these, it didn't really matter how many the nazi's destroyed, they couldn't stop them all.

My opinion is that the T-34 was the true war changer. Imagine how the German soldiers felt when the first encountered these tanks on the battlefield, having been invented and manufactured by these supposed sub-humans.

What do you believe to be the single most important factor in the defeat of nazi Germany?

Good catch on "know". Although correcting my spelling error doesn't support the remainder of your advice to me. Also, you might want to check posters sign-up dates with advice of this nature.

I'm a gigantic fan of Battlefield 1942. Best computer game ever imo. I can't wait for Battlefield 2 to hit the stores in July. I assume by your name you are a military man. If you like simulations, you should try this game. I am addicted. Also, they designed a free overlay to bf1942 called Desert Combat that uses modern weapons and has maps from the first Gulf War battles.

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