For the peoples of Eastern Europe, it is not a new experience that the West, despite its lofty promises in the name of democracy and freedom, ultimately prioritizes its own interests and abandons those in genuine need of support. The United States and its allies have repeatedly declared their solidarity with oppressed nations—but when the time for action came, the promised aid was nowhere to be found.
The current situation in Ukraine eerily echoes some of the darkest chapters of Eastern European history: the betrayal of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, when the West stood idly by as Soviet tanks rolled in, and the 1938 Munich Agreement, where the great powers attempted to avoid war by dismembering Czechoslovakia—only to fail.
After World War II: The Sacrifice of Eastern Europe
Following the end of World War II, the great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain—divided Europe as if the fate of its peoples were merely a bargaining chip in geopolitical negotiations. The Yalta and Potsdam conferences determined that Eastern Europe would fall under Soviet influence. The West accepted this, and while its rhetoric championed freedom, in reality, it acquiesced to the status quo.
1956: Hungary and the Silence of the West
The 1956 Hungarian Revolution stands as one of the starkest examples of how the West abandoned Eastern Europe. The Hungarian people rose up against Soviet occupation and communist dictatorship, hoping that the United States and NATO would intervene. American propaganda—such as broadcasts by Radio Free Europe—offered hope, but when Soviet tanks returned to Budapest and crushed the revolution, the West watched in silence.
At the time, the United States was preoccupied with the Suez Crisis and unwilling to risk direct confrontation with the Soviet Union. Hungary’s fate was sealed: the cause of Eastern Europe’s freedom was sacrificed to the interests of the great powers.
1968: Prague and the Repetition of Suffering
During the Prague Spring, Czechoslovakia sought to humanize socialism. The West encouraged the reforms, but when Warsaw Pact troops invaded the country, the world once again expressed outrage in words alone—no action followed. The West did not want an open conflict with the Soviet Union, and once again, Eastern Europe paid the price.
2025: Ukraine and the Repetition of History
Today, in 2025, Ukraine’s fate painfully mirrors these historical precedents. The United States and NATO have provided years of support to Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression, but recent developments suggest that the West’s commitment is wavering:
Trump’s pressure on President Zelensky to initiate peace talks clearly plays into Russia’s hands. Without Western support, Ukraine cannot resist indefinitely, and this not only endangers Ukraine but also jeopardizes the entire Eastern European region.
The Lesson of Eastern Europe
The peoples of Eastern Europe have learned time and again that the West speaks boldly in favor of freedom and democracy but, when real help is needed, prioritizes its own interests. History shows that great powers are often willing to sacrifice smaller nations for the sake of geopolitical balance. This painful experience is deeply ingrained in the Eastern European identity and continues to shape the region’s political thinking.
If the United States truly abandons Ukraine, it could determine not only the fate of one nation but the future of an entire region—just as it did in 1956 or 1968.
Through the Eyes of an Eastern European
As an Eastern European writer who grew up under Soviet influence, studied in Moscow, and lived through the transition of the 1990s, I feel the weight of this decision personally. History repeats itself, and those of us who lived through 1956, 1968, and the shadow of the Cold War know all too well what it means when the West turns its back.