Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s peace talks send a chilling ripple of déjà vu, a historian has warned, sending Europe “back to 1938”.
A top history expert has accused the two leaders of “land grabbing”, with events in recent days bearing a chilling echo of when dictators Hitler and Mussolini signed away territory which the UK and France agreed to as to not exacerbate tensions. The US and Russia leaders have already appeared to have charged ahead with Ukraine peace talks, effectively locking out Kyiv and other European leaders.
The Trump administration has said the UK and Europe would not play a part in any negotiations as they looked set to plough ahead with talks in Riyadh this week, prompting fierce criticism and concerns. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to visit Washington DC next week after urging America to provide a “backstop” to any settlement brokered between Kyiv and Moscow. On Tuesday, Mr Trump said the US does not “need” to deploy peacekeeping troops and suggested Ukraine “should never have started” the war.
A British historian has already issued an urgent warning about history repeating itself, and has also likened the current situation to Hitler and Mussolini’s “land-grabbing” of the Sudetenland territory in September 1938. Professor Anthony Glees is an expert in European affairs and security who has previously spoken far and wide about the lessons taught by Hitler’s dictatorship.
He told The Mirror: “I believe most sensible people the length and breadth of Europe are viewing these preparatory talks with a foreboding not experienced since 1938 when the UK & France met Hitler and Mussolini at Munich to sign away lands belonging to free Czechoslovakia to try to appease the fascist dictators. It was sold as ‘peace with honour’ and a ‘peace in our time’.
“But within months Hitler swallowed all of Czechoslovakia and within a year Europe was at war and millions died. Even Neville Chamberlain doubted his own deal because he began rapid rearmament programmes on his return to the UK.”
Prof Glees added: “That’s the picture Europe has before its eyes right now. A small but brave free democracy fighting for its life is forced to be a bystander as its sovereignty is destroyed by Trump and Putin, both land grabbers, both megalomaniacs, brothers in bullying others.
“It’s outrageous that Trump has humiliated Zelensky in the past and now, literally, tramples over him. Whilst we know Putin is fully aware of the history of the last century, Trump, Hegseth and JD Vance are either clueless about what happens when free nations are sacrificed to war lords or (more likely) they couldn’t care less.”
Source : https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/land-grabbers-donald-trump-vladimir-34706009