Leading from the front

Angela Merkel, who spent the first half of her life living under Russian rule in Communist East Germany, yesterday gave Vladimir Putin a much-deserved scolding. Like most Western leaders, she boycotted the militaristic preening in Moscow on the 70th anniversary of Germany's surrender. Instead she arrived the day after with this message for the Russian president-dictator: 

“We have sought more and more cooperation in recent years. The criminal and illegal annexation of Crimea and the warfare in eastern Ukraine has led to a serious setback for this cooperation.... I would like also to recall that the end of World War II did not bring democracy and freedom for all in Europe."

Good for you, Angela! That was a refreshing contrast to the creepy-crawly comment of the UN secretary-general on Saturday, and I suspect with what John Kerry will have to say when he arrives in Moscow.