What Is the World Waiting for to Stop Russia from Invading Ukraine?

(L-r) Russia President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

 

Has the world forgotten Adolf Hitler, who invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939 and went on to attack other neighboring countries, including Great Britain, starting World War II? 

After becoming Chancellor of Germany in 1933, Hitler swiftly consolidated power, anointing himself Führer (supreme leader) in 1934. Obsessed with the idea of the superiority of the “pure” German race, which he called “Aryan,” Hitler believed that war was the only way to gain the necessary “Lebensraum,” or living space, for the German race to expand. In the mid-1930s, he secretly began the rearmament of Germany, a violation of the Versailles Treaty that ended World War I.

After signing alliances with Italy and Japan against the Soviet Union, Hitler sent troops to occupy Austria in 1938 and the following year annexed Czechoslovakia. Hitler’s open aggression went unchecked, as the United States and the Soviet Union were concentrated on internal politics at the time, and neither France nor Britain (the two other nations most devastated by the Great War) were eager for confrontation.

But as Hitler continued his unremitting expansion, the world suddenly awoke to the reality of “Aryanism” and mounted a vigorous and sustained counteroffensive that resulted in World War II.   

Hitler soon found out that his expansionism was foolhardy and unsustainable.  He later abandoned this policy, then retreated to his bunker where he committed suicide, followed by that of his wife.

Russia’s Putin seems to have forgotten history.  Now he wants to invade Ukraine.  We at  the Daily Observer are observing with trepidation (fear, serious concern) what seems to be the benign (kind, willing) attitude of the world’s nations as Russia threatens to invade its peaceful and non-threatening neighbor, Ukraine. 

This leads us to wonder whether the world has already forgotten what happened barely a half century ago, when Germany, under the leadership of the Nazis and Adolf Hitler, invaded its immediate neighbors, beginning with Czechoslovakia.

That notorious event is not too distant for us to remember what happened — or what that led to — World War II.  Is the world ready for a Third World War?

For once Adolf Hitler believed that he could invade another European country with impunity — remember British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement at Munich? Hitler believed that after Munich, he had the authority and acquiescence of other powerful nations to do anything he wished.  Until he tried to attack Great Britain.  Little did he know, that was no child’s play.  The British fiercely resisted Germany and Deutschland had to retreat.

Does Mr. Putin not remember history?  

But we think a more important question is this one: What is the world doing in reaction to this blatant attack by Russia against its neighbor?

We call for an immediate summons of the United Nations Security Council to discuss this blatant Russian aggression against its neighbor Ukraine.  The world cannot sit by and witness with benign neglect this naked and unprovoked aggression by powerful Russia against its innocent neighbor Ukraine.  The powerful nations of the world must stop permitting nations to attack their weaker neighbors with impunity.  The Security Council must meet now and take swift action to prevent this catastrophe that could lead to another war, even a world war.  

What is the purpose of a powerful institution like the Security Council, which was established at the end of the Second World War to prevent unnecessary conflict among nations and attacks of powerful nations against weaker ones?  This is the same thing that led to World War II.  Fortunately, the world rose up against tyrannical Germany, but it took the Second World War to defeat Nazi Germany.

We know of no individual or nation that wants a third   world war.  Heaven knows that the world today has more than enough problems — increasing poverty among nations, especially in the developing World — hunger among peoples and the scarcity of water in many countries.  

These are among the many problems confronting the world today.  We definitely do not need another war — not between any two countries or more.  

We repeat our call on the UN Security Council to take speedy action to stop Russian aggression against its neighbor Ukraine.  This is wrong and should not be allowed to happen!

Let the world not wait for conflict to erupt before taking action.  The Security Council, the European Union and other international organizations should join forces to prevent the situation between Russia and Ukraine from worsening.   

The world, we insist, we plead, does not need another unnecessary conflict.