Peace for our time -- Chamberlain

Or how about? What price will be paid? Will the bad actors be rewarded?

Neville Chamberlain sold out everyone as he signed the Munich Agreement (April 1940). With the stroke of a pen, he agreed that Adolf Hitler could add the Czechslovakia’s German-speaking Sudetenland region to Nazi Germany’s territory.

Lesson Learned? Appeasement means agreeing when a person or a country rewards someone for their evil deed. Chamberlain called it “Peace for our time.”

Now, Trump reframes Russia’s war on Ukraine (March 2025). Trump justifies, “I just want the killing to stop,” as he offers the attacking Russians precisely what they want.

Whether “Peace for our time” or “I just want the killing to stop,” it’s still appeasement.

Obama fell for it, too (Feb/March, 2014), when Russia attacked Crimea - then part of Ukraine, now occupied by the Russians. Obama and the European Union scolded and tossed some sanctions on. Lesson learned again: This “turning the cheek” with a scolding once again proved that appeasement does not work.

What it did was kick off the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Now, aggressive Russia marches on, and Trump pushes for appeasement. What’s that song? Whatever she wants …

Hitler marched on, taking one bite at a time. First came Poland, then Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands, followed by Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Russia signed a non-aggression pact, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (August 1939), with Hitler. When Hitler attacked, Russia had to switch sides.

The non-aggression pact that Hitler signed with Russia was as valuable as the Munich Agreement, as beneficial as Obama’s sanctions to Russia over Crimea, and now, as helpful as Trump’s “reward for Russia's bad actions” agreement he wanted elected leader Zelensky to sign.

Trump pushes for appeasement as Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine. What’s that song? Whatever she wants …

Appeasement pacts never work over time. Aggressors who sign pacts merely delay their next attack, using the time to build their weapon supplies.

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Never mind: Chamberlain’s Munich agreement was worthless to everyone but Hitler. “Peace in our time” gave Hitler time to build up forces to attack more countries.

It was the same with Obama’s scolding. It didn’t work. Russia settled in and got ready for its next land grab of Ukraine.

Now, Trump’s appeasement deal seeks to punish Ukraine for being Russia’s target. This is appeasement to the extreme, but world leaders are supporting Zelensky and Ukraine.  Ukrainians back Zelensky. The U.K. prime minister has unveiled steps toward a Ukraine peace deal and urges U.S. cooperation.

Will Trump support democracy and take the deal? Or will he push America closer to the oligarch dictatorships? Time will tell.

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