German Chancellor Merz just compared Putin to Hitler in 1938, warns Ukraine concessions won’t stop Russian expansion into Europe

In a fiery speech at the CSU conference in Munich yesterday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz drew direct parallels between Putin's territorial demands and Hitler's annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland in 1938. His message was blunt: "If Ukraine falls, the war will not stop. Just as in 1938, the Sudetenland was not enough. Putin will not stop."

Merz accused Putin of trying to "restore the old Soviet Union within the borders of the old Soviet Union," specifically threatening former Soviet states that are now NATO and EU members. The Kremlin immediately hit back, calling the comparison "complete stupidity."

This comes at a critical moment—Berlin is hosting high-stakes peace talks this weekend with U.S. envoys meeting Ukrainian officials. The controversial U.S. proposal would force Ukraine to surrender the entire Donbas region, which Kyiv has rejected.

On Monday, Merz will host Zelenskyy alongside Macron and UK PM Keir Starmer for emergency discussions. Meanwhile, Germany has pledged €11.5 billion in aid to Ukraine for 2026.

The 1938 Munich Agreement is often cited as the ultimate example of failed appeasement—Hitler violated the peace deal within months and launched WWII. Is Merz right to draw this parallel? What do you think Europe should do next?