Munich betrayal was followed by 1939 Soviet betrayal

This refers to Russian Ambassador Ju r i Matery’s article headlined “Reflections on 80th anniversary of Munich betraya l ” (Sunday Times, Sept. 30 2018).

The Russian Ambassador is basically right in criticising the outcome of the 1938 Munich Conference which led to the dismemberment of former Czechoslovakia by Hitler’s Germany. Yet it is hard to fathom that the Ambassador does not mention a single word about another “betrayal” barely 11 months later: on August 23, 1939, the so- called Hitler- Stalin Pact was signed by the Soviet foreign ministers Vyacheslav Molotov and Nazi Germany’s Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop ( see pic), whereby the two dictators, Hitler and Stalin, not only entered into a non- aggression agreement but also divided Eastern Europe into spheres of interest. Only one week later, Hitler invaded Poland, thus starting the Second World War, and almost simultaneously Stalin’s troops occupied Eastern Poland. There Soviet troops some months later killed over 10,000 Polish officers in Katyn who had surrendered and been taken as prisoners.

Moreove r, wh i l e Hitler’s Germany invaded Western Europe, several months later, Stalin’s troops annexed the independent Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, plus parts of Finland and Romania (Bessarabia). The brutal invasion resulted in the sending of thousands of citizens from these annexed countries to Stalin’s infamous Gulag prison camps where millions of interned Soviet citizens also suffered. Only when Hitler invad- ed Russia in June 1941 did the anti-Hitler coalition come into being. That is the complete historical reality.

When the Russian Ambassador refers at the end of his article to the need for respect for the principles set down in the United Nations Charter, his words do not match the current reality. Just four years ago, in 2014, Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine although in 1994 Russia had guaranteed Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Moreover, Russian-supported militia still occupy large a reas in Easter n Ukraine. As a consequence of this, the EU, the USA and Canada have imposed sanctions against Russia. So much for Russia’s respect for UN principles like national sovereignty and non-interference!

Jörn Rohde, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany

Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (centre) at the signing of the August 23,1939 pact. Also in the picture were German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop (left) and Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov (extreme right)