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Russia ended some 80 years of peace since World War II, the longest break from war on the European mainland in a millennium. But the immediate occasion for the hastily-convened Caucus was the vote on a Ukrainian resolution at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to condemn Russia’s invasion and demand the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of its military forces from Ukrainian territory — with implications on when peace would return to Europe, for how long, and with what consequences for the rest of the world.

As expected, the non-binding resolution passed, though with a lower margin than in the 2022 voting. What shocked the Caucus was the US joining Russia, Iran, and North Korea, three of the new “Axis of Evil,” in voting against the resolution that its democratic NATO allies supported. Even China, the fourth Axis member, abstained, although it expressed its support for Russia.

The US then proposed a resolution in the Security Council calling for an end to the war, without naming an aggressor. This passed after attempts at amendments to favor Ukraine met with a Russian veto. In angry, anguished statements heavy with historical references, Caucus members spoke of their baffled disbelief, dismay and shame at the “day of…infamy,” when the US pivoted to Russia’s side.

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The Caucus also alluded to the European security conference in Munich in early February that had already evoked memories of a 1938 Munich meeting to avert war between Nazi Germany and Czechoslovakia. In one day of negotiations with Hitler, England and France pressed Czechoslovakia, not present in the session, to surrender the Czech Sudetenland rather than risk war in its defense.

[UK] Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain proclaimed that the Munich Pact had secured “peace in our time.” That peace lasted six months, ending with Germany’s occupation of Czechoslovakia. Six months later, Hitler blitzkrieged Poland and, after another six months, attacked Denmark and Norway. Munich and Chamberlain became identified with the policy of appeasement, based on the hope that concessions would satisfy Hitler and prevent war.

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These statements [by US officials falsly] denied the truth the world had seen, and embraced the lie that Zelenskyy, not Putin, was the dictator who started the war. Putin’s track record was already comparable to Hitler’s: the violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty; targeted bombing of population centers and infrastructure; torture and killing of combatants and civilians; abduction of children and their export to Russia. These offenses led the International Criminal Court to indict Putin for war crimes.

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