U.S. sacrificed nations for "stability," Bush says. . . . In a speech to Latvian leaders, Bush cited the U.S. role at the Yalta conference in 1945 that is widely seen as having paved the way for the Soviet Union to dominate not only the Baltic states but also Eastern Europe for nearly half a century. And to make the point that the United States owns up to "the injustices of our history," he reminded his audience — and by extension Putin — of American slavery and centuries of racial oppression.
. . . .
Bush connected the struggles against Nazi and Communist despotism to his own campaign to bring democracy to the Middle East. "We will not repeat the mistakes of other generations — appeasing or excusing tyranny, and sacrificing freedom in the vain pursuit of stability," he said. "We have learned our lesson. No one's liberty is expendable. In the long run, our security, and true stability, depend on the freedom of others."
