Anne Applebaum Warns Pacifism Can Result in “Concentration Camps in Ukraine” During Peace Prize Speech

American journalist and historian Anne Applebaum, during her acceptance speech for the prestigious Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, urged for the supply of arms to Ukraine to achieve a military defeat of Russia. In her view, pacifism in the face of Russian aggression is akin to a willingness to accept dictatorship.

“If there is even a small chance that military defeat can help end this horrific cult of violence in Russia, as military defeat once ended the cult of violence in Germany, we must seize this opportunity,” she addressed the audience in Frankfurt.

Applebaum asserted that taking pacifism to its logical conclusion “would mean agreeing to the military conquest of Ukraine, cultural destruction, the establishment of concentration camps, and the abduction of children within Ukraine.”

Observers note that many in Germany remain hesitant about supplying weapons to Ukraine due to a strong pacifist sentiment stemming from the country’s historical aggression during World War II.

“Some even call for peace, solemnly citing 'lessons from German history, '” Applebaum remarked, adding, “As I stand here receiving a peace prize, it seems an appropriate moment to note that the phrase 'I want peace' is not always a moral argument.”

Applebaum called on Germans not to be pacifists—people who condemn wars or conflicts in any form. “On the contrary, we have known for nearly a century that the demand for pacifism in the face of an advancing aggressive dictatorship can simply mean appeasement and acceptance of that dictatorship,” she said.

According to her, the “real lesson” from German history should be that Germans “have a special responsibility to defend freedom and take risks in doing so.”

The Peace Prize of the German Book Trade has been awarded since 1950 to individuals who have contributed to realizing the idea of peace through literature, science, or art.

The ceremony took place in St. Paul’s Church in Frankfurt, considered the birthplace of German parliamentary democracy. Applebaum, who writes for The Atlantic, is also the author of several books on totalitarianism in Eastern Europe, including “Red Famine,” “Gulag,” and “Iron Curtain.”

Earlier, Bruno Kahl, the head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has warned that Russia may be capable of launching an attack on NATO territory by 2030.