The Disaster of Appeasement in Ukraine: Why the 'Peace Plan' is a Betrayal of Freedom
- laurencmorris
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Op Ed By Lauren Comele Morris
November 22, 2025
Click link below for audio file #6
The 28-point peace proposal advanced by the U.S. administration to end the war in Ukraine has sent a seismic shockwave through the transatlantic community. Framed as a pragmatic pathway to peace, this plan is, in reality, a disastrous capitulation and a shameful act of appeasement to Vladimir Putin. It demands that Ukraine, the victim of unprovoked aggression, cede vital territory and relinquish its sovereign future, all under the thinly veiled threat of losing American support. This is not peace; it is a forced surrender orchestrated by the very nation sworn to protect the liberal world order.
The Unthinkable Demand: Taking the Knee
For decades, the United States has stood as the leader of the free world, the indispensable nation whose moral and material backing ensures the survival of freedom globally. Now, that moral leadership is being deliberately abdicated. The core of this so-called "peace plan" is a blueprint for Russian victory, institutionalizing Moscow's ill-gotten gains by requiring Ukraine to:
Cede Territory: Recognize Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk as de facto Russian territory.
Surrender Sovereignty: Commit to never joining NATO, effectively capping its defensive ambitions and cementing its vulnerability.
Cap Military Strength: Agree to restrict the size of its own Armed Forces.
This is the United States demanding that Ukraine "take the knee" to its invader. Washington is applying maximum pressure not on the aggressor, but on the victim, signaling to every autocrat watching that invasion pays, and that commitment to democracy is conditional. This move destroys the credibility of security guarantees everywhere, replacing resolve with rot.
The Ghosts of 1938: Munich Revisited
To those who believe this plan is a clever solution to a complicated problem, history offers a terrifying warning. This is not a new diplomatic strategy; it is the age-old, short-sighted policy of appeasement, and its most infamous example led directly to a global catastrophe.
We need only look back to the Munich Agreement of 1938, when Britain and France—desperate to avoid war—agreed to allow Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain famously returned home, proclaiming "peace for our time." Six months later, Hitler seized the rest of Czechoslovakia, and the path to World War II was wide open.
The logic of the 1938 deal—that satisfying an aggressor’s limited territorial demands will quench his unlimited imperial ambition—is demonstrably false. Giving Putin the Donbas and Crimea will not satisfy him; it will merely serve as a staging ground for the next invasion of Ukraine, or worse, for probing the defenses of NATO's Baltic members. By validating territorial conquest, this plan guarantees not a lasting peace, but a far bloodier war in the very near future.
Reverse Course: The Imperative of True Leadership
The United States must immediately reverse this course. The administration must recommit to the founding principle of American foreign policy: that freedom is worth defending, and that borders established by international law cannot be redrawn by force.
True U.S. leadership requires three immediate actions:
Full Military Resupply: Reinstate and accelerate the delivery of long-range missiles, air defense systems, and financial aid necessary for Ukraine to repel the invasion and push Russian forces back to the 1991 borders.
Unwavering Diplomatic Support: Withdraw the 28-point proposal and publicly confirm that Ukraine’s path to NATO remains sovereign and unhindered.
Confiscate Frozen Assets: Confiscate the entirety of frozen Russian state assets—estimated at hundreds of billions—and dedicate them fully to Ukraine’s defense and recovery, forcing Moscow to pay for the damage it caused.
Europe and NATO: The Time to Engage is Now
While American leadership has stumbled, Europe and NATO have a moment of reckoning. For too long, the European continent has relied on the U.S. security umbrella, allowing Washington to shoulder the burden of deterrence. This must end.
If the U.S. is unwilling to consistently act as the guarantor of European peace, then Europe must finally engage and step up its own military commitment to defeat Russia decisively.
Massive Defense Spending: NATO members must exceed the 2% GDP defense spending target and coordinate industrial production to eclipse Russia’s capacity.
Forward Deployment: European powers must collectively increase forward-deployed forces and expedite the full integration of new members like Sweden and Finland.
Direct Support to Kyiv: Europe, leveraging its proximity and economic might, must guarantee Ukraine’s long-term security and military supply chain, removing the reliance on unpredictable American political cycles.
A defeated Russia is the only way to ensure the long-term stability of the European continent. Appeasement ensures only a temporary, fragile truce before the next wave of aggression. This generation of leaders must not repeat the tragic mistakes of 1938. The price of surrender is far higher than the cost of victory.
Please watch my new video on YouTube at The Centrist Post.
Thank you for listening, reading and watching.
Comments