Eighty years ago, the guns finally fell silent across the European continent. On May 8, 1945, the Allied powers declared victory in Europe, marking the end of the most devastating war the world had ever witnessed. World War II left behind a scarred planet, over 70 million dead, cities reduced to rubble, and an entire generation traumatized by the horrors of conflict. But it also gave birth to a solemn promise: “Never again.”

Today, as we commemorate this anniversary, that promise rings hollow in the shadow of a new and dangerous reality. War has returned to the European continent. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is not merely a regional conflict — it is a sobering reminder that the post-war world order, founded on principles of sovereignty, diplomacy, and collective security, is under grave threat.

The echoes of the past are too loud to ignore. A powerful state is once again attempting to redraw borders by force, testing the resolve of the international community and threatening the very principles that the post-WWII global framework was built to uphold. This aggression mirrors the worst chapters of our history — an era when empires used might to subjugate neighbours, and when colonial ambitions trampled over the self-determination of peoples.

Rewarding or legitimizing acts of invasion — even indirectly — would send a chilling message: that violence works. That the rule of law can be bent by the rule of force. That we are, once again, living in a world where the powerful dictate terms to the weak. It would mark not only a moral failure, but also a geopolitical regression to the dangerous balance of power politics that once plunged the world into darkness.

Critics of increased defence spending raise valid concerns about priorities, about peace, and about the risk of escalating tensions. But history has shown — painfully — that being completely exposed, hoping that goodwill alone will hold back an aggressor, is not a strategy. It is a gamble. The peace we enjoy today was hard-won and has endured not just because of diplomacy, but because of credible deterrence and collective security.

We are treading on thin ice. Every concession to aggression weakens the fabric of international law. Every failure to uphold territorial integrity chips away at the post-war consensus. Commemorating the end of WWII must be more than ceremonial — it must be a reaffirmation of the values that emerged from its ashes: freedom, democracy, sovereignty, and peace through unity.

Let us honour those who fought to liberate Europe by defending those very ideals today. Let us not forget that peace is not the absence of war, but the presence of justice, and the unwavering commitment to stand up against tyranny in all its forms.

Are we prepared to defend peace — or are we simply hoping it defends itself?