• What I said at the House of Lords on Ukraine, Russia and nuclear war

Two weeks ago, in London, I took part in a panel discussion on the Ukraine-Russia war at the House of Lords before an audience of 100 MPs and business leaders. It was a unique opportunity to address men and women who don’t necessarily hear points of view like mine.

The panel included my good friend, Danny Davis, who is probably the best American commentator on the Ukraine-Russia war, a senior economist from Rand, and the former head of the Royal Navy. It was moderated by a very successful American businessman. While we disagreed on details, we were, to my surprise, all agreed upon the urgent need for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. That point was met with acceptance by some in the audience, curiosity by others and outright hostility by the rest - a hostility reminiscent of Francis Bacon’s Idols of the Tribe.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you all for this opportunity to address the Security Council and to provide a briefing on the issue of peace as it relates to Ukraine and its connections with people in this country and all over the world.

As a journalist, Executive Editor of Black Agenda Report, and a member of the Black Alliance for Peace and of the United National Antiwar Coalition, and as a citizen of the United States, the nation which has taken a lead role in continuing this crisis, I am very eager to speak to this issue. As of now, the U.S. government has allocated nearly $175 billion for the Ukrainian war effort and to support the workings of Ukraine’s civilian government.

Background

The Green Party of the U.S. has approved a statement calling for a negotiated end to the Ukraine War. Accordingly, the GPUS should support and endorse the February 19 “Rage Against the War Machine” anti-war demonstration in Washington DC. The demands of the demonstration organizers, listed below, are consistent with the positions of the GPUS.

Proposal

The Green Party of the United States will co-sponsor the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)’s STOP U.S. Wars: MLK Week of Actions. State parties are encouraged to support the convening of local groups of Green Party members to attend the MLK week actions that are already being planned near them in a coordinated fashion (3).

Because the United States is fighting a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine, it is important that the Green Party of the United States have an official statement regarding its position on the war in Ukraine. It is especially important because of the grave danger of nuclear war in which the government has placed our country and the rest of the world. Because one of the Green Party pillars is Peace, we should have a position that is likely to end the hostilities and resolve the differences between Russia and Ukraine in a peaceful manner.

The Green Party of the United States (GPUS) endorse the following statement, on October 10th, 2022, as the official position of GPUS regarding the war in Ukraine.

Can you believe it? $40 billion worth of arms to pour gasoline on the already-raging inferno in Ukraine.

Every. Single. House. Democrat voted in favor, sending this bill to the Senate.

• No War in Ukraine! No to NATO! Stop Imperialist Aggression!

• Ceasefire, Negotiations, Not Escalation!

The Upper Hudson Green Party and nine other organizations spoke out for a ceasefire and halt to fighting, diplomacy and negotiation to end the war in Ukraine, and against the militarism of NATO and Russia. The rally was held in Albany, NY on March 5 and featured speakers against the conflict between the imperialism of the US and its NATO allies and Russian imperialism playing out in Ukraine. 

SAN FRANCISCO – The Green Party of California condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent attack on Ukraine by the Russian military that has so far caused hundreds of civilian casualties, including children, and forced thousands of Ukrainians to take refuge in Poland and other neighboring countries [1].

• March 6, International Day of Protest

"War between the United States and Russia would risk human extinction. Both have policies to use nuclear weapons and could resort to them in the fog of war. Nuclear war would cause ecosystem collapse and humanity to starve. What exactly are we risking this for?" Dr. Jill Stein

PITTSBORO, NC - The North Carolina Green Party stands for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. We call for the United States and other NATO powers to begin immediate peace talks with Russia towards a return to the terms of the 2014 Minsk Protocol. NATO forces have made incursions into the region for decades. The overthrow of Ukraine’s democratically elected government in 2014 happened with the direct involvement of US diplomats. These aggressions have led to Russian security concerns and have inflamed and destabilized the situation in Ukraine.