100 Organizations Publish Petition in The Hill
Calling for Ukraine Peace Talks and Ceasefire
Peace in Ukraine / World BEYOND War

(May 23, 2023) — Representatives of the Peace in Ukraine Coalition will fan out across US Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, and over 65 congressional home district offices on Wednesday, May 24th, to deliver a petition in The Hill that urges Biden, Putin, and Zelensky to support peace talks and a ceasefire in Ukraine. Peace activists will also share a copy of the petition/ad with offices of the US State Department and the Ukrainian and Russian embassies.

The petition, published as a full-page ad in a newspaper widely read by Congress, reads, in part, “The longer the war goes on, the greater the danger of spiraling escalation which can lead to a wider war, environmental devastation and nuclear annihilation.”

The petition reinforces the efforts of global leaders who are involved in peace initiatives, including the presidents of China, Brazil, and South Africa; the UN Secretary General; and the Pope. It also reflects the growing US public skepticism about continued US support for the war.

US activists will bring the petition to the upcoming International Summit for Peace in Ukraine that will take place on June 10-11th in Vienna, a global gathering to amplify the urgent call for a ceasefire in a war that poses the risk of nuclear annihilation.

The petition featured in the ad was signed by leaders of national and international organizations, such as CODEPINK, Defuse Nuclear War, Veterans for Peace, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom-US, Progressive Democrats of America, RootsAction, World Beyond War, Environmentalists Against War, and the Ukrainian Movement of Pacifists.

The petition was also signed by prominent authors, historians and diplomats, among them Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower; Medea Benjamin, co-author, “War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict;” Jeffrey Sachs, economist, global leader in sustainable development; Roger Waters, co-founder, Pink Floyd; Matthew Hoh, Eisenhower Media Network, former Marine Corps officer and State Department and Defense official; Col. Ann Wright, former State Department official; Jack Matlock, former US Ambassador to the Soviet Union; Norman Soloman, founder and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy; Dr. Cornel West, author, “Race Matters,” ”Democracy Matters,” and others.

Marcy Winograd, co-chair of the Peace in Ukraine Coalition, said, “We need a ceasefire before this war escalates to risk further death and destruction. We need Russia, Ukraine and NATO countries to lay down their arms and participate in peace negotiations without preconditions. The alternative risks World War III and a nuclear war, either due to miscalculation or intention. As supporters of urgent diplomacy, we stand with the Global South ringing the alarm bells before it’s too late.”

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK and co-author of “War in Ukraine Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict,” has traversed the United States on a book tour to amplify the call for a ceasefire. “This petition reflects the frustration of the US public with both parties for near unanimous support for fueling this war with more and more weapons shipments. Those who are supposed to represent us are totally disconnected from public sentiment that this war must immediately end to prevent a wider war that threatens all life on earth.”

Col. Ann Wright, who resigned from the State Department in opposition to the Iraq War, said, “Every dollar we spend on weapons, ammunition, missiles and military training to continue the war in Ukraine, instead of pushing for negotiations to end the killing, is a dollar stolen from our communities and from the millions at home who live paycheck to paycheck, food insecure, without housing and access to clear water and adequate medical care. It’s up to us, the people, to stop this raid on our treasury and demand a diplomatic resolution that will lead to enduring peace.”