Just as we pay respect to those people who died in Gallipoli, without bringing other issues into it, we should have enough grace to honor the people in Soviet Union who fought on our side and without whose sacrifice there would have been many more dead from USA and Europe.  Americans do not like to share the glory of victory, and the soviet part has always been denigrated.  Stalin was the head of state, but it was the people who fought and died.  And not acknowledging them will  not help Ukraine, actually, it will make it easier for those in Russia who claim that there is a western conspiracy against them, and only harden the resolve to bring area where Russians live into Russia. 

So we should abrogate our morals and principles to avoid offending Putin?

Unfortunately history is written to glorify whoever writes it and differs greatly from reality.

Perhaps a bit of history and perspective are in order

Have a look at the casualty list per country

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties

War is full of atrocities..................on ALL sides.

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@wilk1149 wrote:
Lets not forget the atrocities committed by the Soviets against the Germans after the war

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Any atrocities committed against the German population pales into insignificance, when compared to what the troops both Soviet and Americans, discovered in the concentration camps, and what the Red Army saw as they advanced through Russia and Baltic states towards Berlin. 

atrocities were committed by US forces in Vietnam and Iraq; we just rarely hear about them.  Unless, one of the perpetrators confesses, like in this case:

The Mahmudiyah killings were the gang-rape and killing of 14-year-old Iraqi girl Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi by United States Army soldiers on March 12, 2006, and the murder of her family.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmudiyah_killings

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@poddster wrote:

War is full of atrocities..................on ALL sides.

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War is hell.

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@ladydeburg wrote:

So we should abrogate our morals and principles to avoid offending Putin?

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Where did I say anything about "not offending Putin"?  He just happens to be the leader in this moment, but this is not about him, it is about the millions of people who died. 

But since you brought it up, it is not a good idea to be offending somebody like Putin.  He not only has his finger on the nuclear button, he is also the one who we need to negotiate with about Ukraine.  So offending him is not going to help, and it is only strengthening his position in his country.

I have yet to see the West say anything favourable about any Soviet leader.

In fact about ANY other leader if they are not of their idiology.

I will not hold my breath waiting for that moment 🙂