We must say no to appeasement

In 1938 Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany signed the Munich Accord, an agreement that ceded parts of Czechoslovakia to Germany, who had taken this land in an undeclared war. Czechoslovakia was not present at this meeting and was forced by the other European countries to accept its terms. In return, Hitler promised not to expand further into Europe.

This policy of appeasement failed. Hitler ignored the agreement and continued military invasions into other countries. Europe’s failure to immediately confront Hitler was one of the main reasons for World War II.

After Russia annexed Crimea, it agreed not to pursue other territorial claims. It broke those agreements and the world is now faced with Russia occupying land in eastern Ukraine.

Is the U.S. going to appease Russia? Putin is no different from Hitler. He has shown himself to be a brutal dictator who wants to reestablish the Russian empire.

The U.S. must stand with Ukraine and Europe.

Walter Riesing

Mount Prospect