Leon Panetta.Photo: parstoday.
Putin as a new Hitler: a historical parallel
Former CIA Director and former US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta has made a bold statement comparing Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler. In an interview with LIGA.net, Panetta stressed that in his more than 50 years of public service, he had never expected to see another tyrant who would dare to take such a brutal step as invading a democratic state in Europe.
“I could not imagine that after the Second World War we would see a new dictator like Hitler, who would dare to attack a sovereign democracy in Europe. But Putin did. It was crucial for the world’s democracies to stand together and counter his aggression,” Panetta said.
Unity of democratic countries as a response to aggression
According to Panetta, today democratic states are successfully responding to Putin’s actions, which includes powerful sanctions, military assistance to Ukraine and joint exercises. Of particular importance is the strengthening of NATO, which demonstrates to Putin that his attempt to divide the Western world has failed.
“I am encouraged by the way the world’s democracies have united in the face of this threat. Sanctions, weapons for Ukraine, military exercises and strengthening of NATO have become the force that sends a clear message that Putin’s aggression will not go unpunished,” the former CIA chief said.
The main reason for the invasion was the refusal to recognise Ukraine’s independence
Panetta also stressed that Putin’s main motivation for this war is his unwillingness to recognise the right of the Ukrainian people to self-determination. The refusal to recognise Ukraine’s sovereignty and its desire for independence was the main reason for the war that the Kremlin unleashed.
“Democracies cannot stand by while a tyrant attacks another country simply because he does not believe in its right to be independent. This is the only reason why Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine,” Leon Panetta concluded.
Leon Panetta’s statement comparing Putin to Hitler reminds the world of the seriousness of the threat posed by modern authoritarianism. It also underscores the critical importance of the unity of democratic countries in supporting Ukraine and defending the international order. Aggression directed against a sovereign state must be firmly repelled in order to prevent new threats to peace and stability in the world.
