The Versailles treaty at the end of WW1 was a colossal mistake. It fed into the German "We were not defeated, but betrayed" myth and provided the resentment that led to the rise of Adolf Hitler. There were moments during the early years of NAZI power when they could have been stopped. A combination of extreme Pacifism and a refusal to face facts caused the deaths of millions. Hitler was plain about his ambition. He wrote about and talked about it. The reaction from democracies leaders was, "He might say those things, but he likes children and dogs, so he does not really mean it".
Vladimir Putin is a modern Hitler. He has stated repeatedly that he is going to recreate the Soviet Union. He has said plainly that its ex-members have no right to an independent existence. Those countries are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Finland was a member and could be an obvious target. The Baltic states are members of NATO. Unless the intention is to surrender to Putin, Russian encroachment would trigger a NATO response and, potentially, WW3.
We seem to have come full circle and landed in the mid 1930s. Russia s invasion of Ukraine is illegal. Without help from China and North Korea it would have failed. As it is, after almost four years, with countless deaths the Russian army still cannot defeat a much smaller country. Donald Trump, for reasons that escape the rational mind proposes that Ukraine surrenders. According to most observers, a final push would defeat the Russians and topple Putin.
The truth is that Ukraine is fighting a war on behalf of the west, democracy and freeedom. If they surrender so do we. If they obey Trump it will be a green light to China to pursue their ambitions and of course for Putin to pursue his next target. As with the rise of Hitler, there will come a time when we will have to fight. Supporting Ukraine with arms and sanctions on Russia is the only way to preserve peace.
Trump could be a great man, he has chosen not to be. In dancing to a despot's tune he endangers freedom. There is myth that persists in the USA that of 'Fortress America' and "We don't need anyone to survive". I've no idea what history is taught in the States, but with this rearing its head yet again it must be extremely poor. The revolution was about democracy, spurred on by demands for fair trade. Throughout its history the US has intervened to secure its trade. Japan, the Barbary States and China are a few examples. WW1 made them rich and they stayed out of WW2 long enough to confirm their position as the World's leading power. With that position comes responsibility. It is a responsibility that Trump wants to shirk.
If Ukraine is sacrificed as another Trump deal there will be consequences. Those consequences will be unavoidable and like it or not the USA will be forced to fight. There is a choice. Support a brave Ukraine with everything needed to defeat Putin. Or, dodge the draft, turn tail and wait until the equivalent of Pear Harbour forces a response.
Of course this is not just about the USA. Europe must up its game. European navies have more than enough capacity to stop Putin's shadow fleet from sailing and replenishing his war chest. The situation is too serious for endless talks, threats and mind changes. If the USA has decided to abrogate its responsibilities, then others must step up and take over.