By Reginald Johnson
Commentary
Ukrainian
and Russian negotiators said this week they made progress towards reaching a
truce, coming up with a plan that would center in part on a promise of Ukraine
being a neutral country, not joining NATO and a withdrawal of Russian forces.
But still
there are some differences and more time is needed to work them out.
So far, the
United States has sat on the sidelines with any negotiations. That needs to stop.
The US must get actively involved to create a cease-fire and end the carnage.
Since the
Russian invasion began on Feb. 24, nearly 700 civilians have been killed,
according to UN figures. Thousands of soldiers have lost their lives and 3
million Ukrainians have become refugees.
People who
want peace in Ukraine should call the White House at 202-456-1111 and demand
that the administration work actively for a cease-fire. Call your members of
Congress at 202-224-3121 and tell them the same thing.
You can also
go to the website for the anti-war organization CODEPINK (CODEPINK.org) and sign
the letter being sent to the White house and Congress outlining a plan for
peace.
In a plea to
the public, CODEPINK organizers wrote: “A ceasefire deal must be reached
immediately! Tell Biden and Congress that rather than supplying more weapons
which risks nuclear war, the U.S. must participate in vigorous ceasefire
negotiations by outlining the agreements and compromises the U.S. is ready and
willing to support.”
The organization said that provisions for a
cease-fire should include the following: Russia must withdraw its troops and
commit to respecting the sovereignty of Ukraine; the US rejects a no-fly zone
over Ukraine; no NATO expansion; recognition of Ukraine as a neutral country;
and off-ramp for sanctions on Russia to be lifted.
No comments:
Post a Comment