Appeasement negotiations with an aggressor don’t work. History already gave us this lesson when Great Britain tried it with Adolf Hitler.
On Sep. 30, 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain stepped off the plane after the infamous Munich Conference and read a joint statement drafted with Adolf Hitler: “We… are agreed in recognizing that the question of Anglo-German relations is of the first importance for our two countries and for Europe… We are resolved that the method of consultation shall be the method adopted to deal with any other questions… and thus to contribute to assure the peace of Europe.”
In front of 10 Downing Street, Chamberlain then declared: “My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our time… Go home and get a nice quiet sleep.”
One year later, Hitler started World War II.
The proposed meeting between Trump and Putin on Aug. 15 in Alaska is history repeating itself. If it happens, it will be unprecedented in both location and symbolism – Alaska was once in the sights of Russian imperial ambition, and Putin thrives on historical symbols.
This meeting will serve the Kremlin’s interests above all:
- It will be presented in Russian propaganda as “an equal meeting of great powers,” undermining US resolve
- It will shift the focus from Ukraine’s victory to a “compromise” narrative with the aggressor
- Putin’s proposal to stop the war in exchange for the Donbas is not peace – it’s a reward for aggression and war crimes
- Losing part of Donetsk region would dismantle the fortified defense lines Ukraine has built since 2014 and open a direct path for Russia to strike further west
- No credible security guarantees are on offer – Russia would simply get a pause to prepare for the next stage of aggression.
And Trump? He has already shown his impotence. He threatened Russia with “two more weeks” multiple times and set an Aug. 8 deadline. Today is Aug. 11. The deadline passed – and nothing happened. No consequences, no action, just empty words. The ultimatum turned into an empty bluff, strengthening the Kremlin’s position by proving that Trump’s threats can be ignored.
History has a cruel way of repeating itself when its lessons are ignored. In 1938, appeasement led directly to a world war. In 2025, it could lead to something far worse.
The views expressed are the author’s and not necessarily of Kyiv Post.