Mary and Pete Mosseau live in Concord.

In 1905, Spanish philosopher George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

In March 1938, Austria became part of Germany, and Hitler turned his eyes towards the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia, home to 3 million Germans and the largest German population outside the Reich. Hitler called for its union with Germany and Neville Chamberlain, Britain’s Prime Minister, urged the Czechs to make the best terms they could with Germany. Chamberlain’s appeasement policy culminated in the 1938 Munich Agreement ceding the Sudetenland; but without allowing the Czechs to participate in the negotiations with Germany.

In March 1939, Germany invaded the two Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, followed by Poland in September. By mid-1940, Germany controlled most of Western Europe.

We know about the war crimes committed during World War II and the costs incurred by the Allies in winning the conflict in 1945. It was out of this war that NATO was created to protect the freedom and security of its members.

Russia attacked Ukraine in 2014, illegally occupying Crimea, followed by its 2022 invasion which violated a previously negotiated ceasefire. Since then, Russia has bombed churches, schools, and hospitals; killed prisoners of war; kidnapped Ukrainian children and the International Criminal Court has issued indictments against Putin for war crimes.

At a White House press conference, President Donald Trump falsely claimed Ukraine’s leader Zelensky was a “dictator,” that he disrespected the U.S. by not being thankful enough for aid, that Ukraine started the conflict with Russia and that U.S. funding to Ukraine totaled $350 billion.

A U.S. government website, Ukrainian Oversight, reveals congressional funding since February 2022 was much less than that, totaling $183 billion. According to Reuters, Zelensky’s popularity in Ukraine is 63%, and the country’s Constitution does not require elections during wartime. As for gratitude, in a December 2022 Congressional Address, President Zelensky said “I hope my words of respect and gratitude resonate in each American heart.”

In addition to his words at the White House press conference, Trump’s actions appear aligned with Putin’s goals. For instance, last week his administration ended a program that would help restore Ukraine’s energy grid and sided with Moscow in a United Nations vote condemning Russia’s aggression on the anniversary of its invasion. The administration has also paused military assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

Trump, like Chamberlain with the Germans, is willing to accept Russia’s territorial gains in Ukraine and has sidelined Ukraine in direct negotiations with Russia. And before direct talks with Russia even started, Defense Secretary Hesgeth stated that Ukraine will not be a NATO member.

As opinion writer Jane Hartman wrote, “Appeasing Putin now is the path to more, not less, bloodshed and turmoil.” In response to the White House press conference, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski wrote, “I’m sick to my stomach. The administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and US values around the world.”

History may be repeating itself.

If you share these concerns contact the White House, as well as Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders. Make your opinions known and tell them you are a voter.