Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that his country will “never accept” any decisions made without its participation to end the three-year war in Ukraine. This statement reflects a long history of power politics and colonization, where large powers have colluded to negotiate new borders or spheres of influence without the input of those affected.
The Scramble for Africa in 1884-85 is a notable example. German leader Otto von Bismarck invited European powers to Berlin without inviting African leaders, leading to the division of the continent among them. This conference resulted in colonial atrocities that killed millions and established the Congo Free State under Belgian control.
Similarly, the Tripartite Convention in 1899 saw Germany and the US collude on the Samoans’ islands, despite their desire for self-rule or a Pacific confederation. Britain received primacy over Tonga as compensation, while German Samoa became a territory of New Zealand until 1962.
The Sykes-Picot Agreement during World War I redrew the Middle East’s borders according to British and French interests, disregarding Ottoman commitments to Arab independence. The agreement also contradicted promises made in the Balfour Declaration to support Zionists in Ottoman Palestine.
More recently, the Munich Agreement in 1938 saw Britain, France, and Italy collude on appeasing Nazi Germany without Czechoslovakian input. The Évian Conference in 1938 failed to address Jewish refugees’ pleas for asylum, with neither the US nor Britain pressuring each other to accept more refugees.
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939 led to Europe’s division into spheres of influence. This treaty’s consequences are eerily reminiscent of current discussions on Ukraine’s future, sparking concerns about a revival of secret diplomacy dividing smaller nations between larger powers.
The Yalta Conference in 1945 saw British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, and US President Franklin D Roosevelt negotiate post-war Europe without including representatives from affected countries. This meeting laid the groundwork for the Cold War division of Europe, with some believing that current discussions on Ukraine’s future echo Putin’s ambitions to emulate this model.
These historical examples highlight a pattern of large powers disregarding local interests in pursuit of their own agendas. The ongoing Ukraine conflict serves as a reminder of the importance of inclusive decision-making processes and the need for nations to prioritize the voices and agency of those directly affected by such decisions.
Source: https://theconversation.com/ukraine-isnt-invited-to-its-own-peace-talks-history-is-full-of-such-examples-and-the-results-are-devastating-250049