EDITOR:

President Trump met behind closed doors with Vladimir Putin, with just interpreters. He tweeted later “The lowly state of Russo-American relations was not the fault of the Russian government for seizing Crimea, shooting down a passenger airliner, interfering in America’s presidential election or using a banned nerve agent to kill citizens of a close ally on its own soil. No, it was the fault “of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt“. Putin played Trump like a fiddle this week. In 1939 the Soviet Union signed a 10-year non-aggression pact with Germany. They both invaded Poland and divided it into their desired halves. England and France declared war against Germany. Hitler hated communism, so in 1941 attacked the Soviet Union, breaking the treaty. Russia received shaft #1. In 1942, Stalin presses the Allies to invade France to ease the fighting against his troops when they lost almost 1,000,000 soldiers defending Stalingrad. The allies agree and invade Normandy, but two years later. Shaft #2. In 1943, President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and General Charles De ‘Gaulle meet without Stalin. At this meeting, it’s reported that Roosevelt planned “to keep Soviet forces engaged with Germany on the Russian front, thus depleting German munitions and troops” and secondly “to prevent Stalin from negotiating a separate peace with the Nazi regime.” Shaft #3. Again, Stalin urges the Allies to bypass Italy and Sicily to support his forces in the east. The allies decline. Shaft #4. Near war’s end, Eisenhower said, “As regards Berlin I am quite ready to admit that it has political and psychological significance, but of far greater importance will be the location of the remaining German forces in relation to Berlin. It is on them that I am going to concentrate my attention. Naturally, if I can get a chance to take Berlin cheaply, I shall take it.” “Cheaply” is referring to American casualties.

The Soviet troops take Berlin alone, at a cost of 80,000 dead. Shaft #5. Enter Vladimir Putin born on Oct. 7, 1952 in Leningrad. His father joined the Soviet army in 1941, was severely wounded, and later joined the NKVD, the Soviet Secret Police since renamed the KGB. Vladimir joined the KGB and was burning their documents when the Berlin wall fell. So, Mr. Putin is a hardliner from the Stalinist days, who still hates Germany, France, England and the United States and hasn’t forgotten Russia’s shafting during World War II.

It’s difficult to confirm allied deaths in Europe. It appears we lost 135,576. The United Kingdom/Colonies had 383,799 killed and France lost 210,000. Russia lost between 10 million to 13 million. That’s a staggering number and Putin hasn’t forgotten. Sweden has issued booklets on how to prepare for war to every household. As of July 1, their military draft now includes women.

Trump threw everyone under the bus, including our own intelligence agencies. He’s de-stabilizing Europe. Russia and China love it. Let’s spin the chamber again. Click or bang?

Gerry Niedermaier

Gladstone