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Susan Brawley is a professor emerita of marine biology and plant biology at the University of Maine.
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain of Great Britain met Führer Adolph Hitler in Munich, Germany, in September 1938. That meeting effectively handed over the democratic country of Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany. Chamberlain told the British people that he had negotiated “peace for our time.” Britain and France told Czechoslovakia that a large part of their country must be given to Germany. Soon, Nazi Germany occupied all of Czechoslovakia.
Chamberlain’s “appeasement” of Hitler was foolish and tragic. It led directly to the World War II, because Hitler rapidly attacked other European countries. Germany, Italy, and Japan established a military alliance, aiming to conquer much of the world. The U.S. was attacked at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Only through the resolve of the U.S. and other allied nations were Germany, Italy, and Japan defeated. Many of our families will continue to bear the scars of our patriotic struggle against dictators for generations.
Now comes another testing time. I believe it is similar to 1938.
A harsh Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin, has clearly indicated that he wants to reconquer the democracies of eastern Europe, and weaken other democracies — including American democracy. Remember his splendid recounting of Peter the Great as the entertainment at the 2014 Sochi Olympics? Putin told us what he planned to do.
Russia is using cyberattacks and false information in democracies before and after elections to sow disruption. Putin poisons (literally) opposition in Russia itself, including of the popular Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who died in a Siberian prison one year ago today. Putin is not a friend of the U.S.
Ukraine, an independent democracy in eastern Europe, was attacked by Russia on February 24, 2022. Russia hoped to conquer all of Ukraine quickly, but Ukrainians prize their long cultural history and freedom, and have fought admirably to defend their homeland. The U.S. and other NATO countries have provided military training and weapons, which along with supreme Ukrainian bravery — by civilians and soldiers — prevented Russia from taking Ukraine.
Russia has bombed hospitals, schools, churches, power plants, railroads, and homes for nearly three years, but Ukraine has held the line. Russia kidnapped children early in the war, and most are still not reunited with their families, their whereabouts unknown in most cases. Ukraine has held the line.
Donald Trump, our newly elected president, has announced that he will meet with Putin soon to “stop this ridiculous war.” As with Neville Chamberlain, he has not invited Ukraine or our NATO allies to attend this meeting, which is seemingly intended to dismember Ukraine.
President Trump does not seem to understand, or ultimately value, that our democracy rests upon alliances with friendly nations. President Trump does not understand that Putin, indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his heinous attack on Ukraine, is not our friend.
We and our elected representatives must continue to support Ukraine and our NATO alliance. Our future depends upon it. Putin is not our friend.