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 Ukraine war

Open letter calls for Scholz to stop arms deliveries to Ukraine

An open letter signed by Daniela Dahn and Konstantin Wecker calls for a halt to arms deliveries to Ukraine.

 

BLZ/kuri, April 22, 2022 - 11:21 a.m

 

In view of the growing pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to meet the demand for the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine, a group of personalities from science, politics, culture and other areas of civil society have written an open letter to the Chancellor.

 

In it, they called for a halt to arms supplies to Ukrainian troops and to encourage the government in Kyiv to end military resistance against promises of negotiations on a ceasefire and a political solution.

 

The undersigned criticize the fact that Germany and other NATO states have made themselves war parties by supplying weapons and warn against a nuclear escalation.

 

Deliveries of arms and military support from NATO would prolong the war and make a diplomatic solution a long way off. Regardless of success, the price of prolonged military resistance would be more destroyed towns and villages and more casualties among the Ukrainian population.

 

With their initiative, the signatories also want to send a signal to the members of the Bundestag, who are expected to discuss further arms deliveries to Ukraine in the coming week. Here is the full text of the open letter.

 

 

Dear Chancellor Scholz,

 

we are people of different origins, political attitudes and positions towards the politics of NATO, Russia and the federal government. We all deeply condemn this unjustifiable war by Russia in Ukraine. We are united in warning against an uncontrollable escalation of the war with unforeseeable consequences for the entire world and in opposing a prolongation of the war and bloodshed with arms deliveries.

 

By supplying weapons, Germany and other NATO countries have de facto made themselves a war party. And so Ukraine has also become the battlefield for the conflict between NATO and Russia over the security order in Europe, which has been escalating for years.

 

This brutal war in the heart of Europe is being fought at the expense of the Ukrainian people. At the same time, the economic war that has been unleashed is jeopardizing the supply of people in Russia and many poor countries around the world.

 

Reports of war crimes are piling up. Although difficult to verify under the prevailing conditions, it must be assumed that in this war, as in others before it, atrocities will be committed and that the brutality will increase with its duration. One more reason to end it quickly.

 

The war harbors the real danger of escalation and military escalation that can no longer be controlled - similar to that of the First World War. Red Lines are drawn, which are then crossed by actors and gamblers on both sides, and the spiral continues one step further. If responsible people like you, dear Mr. Federal Chancellor, do not stop this development, the end will be another big war. Only this time with nuclear weapons, widespread devastation and the end of human civilization. The avoidance of more and more casualties, destruction and a further dangerous escalation must therefore have absolute priority.

 

Despite reports of success from the Ukrainian army in the meantime: it is far inferior to the Russian one and has little chance of winning this war. The price of prolonged military resistance, regardless of possible success, will be more destroyed towns and villages and more casualties among the Ukrainian population. Deliveries of arms and military support from NATO prolong the war and make a diplomatic solution a long way off.

 

It is right to make the demand “Down with your arms!” primarily to the Russian side. But at the same time, further steps must be taken to end the bloodshed and displacement of people as soon as possible.

 

As bitter as it is to retreat from violence that violates international law, it is the only realistic and humane alternative to a long, grueling war. The first and most important step would be to stop all arms deliveries to Ukraine, combined with an immediate ceasefire to be negotiated.

 

We therefore call on the German government, the EU and NATO countries to stop supplying arms to the Ukrainian troops and to encourage the government in Kyiv to stop military resistance - against the promise of negotiations talks about a ceasefire and a political solution - to end. The offers to Moscow already discussed by President Zelenskyi - possible neutrality, agreement on the recognition of Crimea and referendums on the future status of the Donbass republics - offer a real chance to do so.

 

Negotiations on the rapid withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity should be supported by NATO countries' own proposals regarding the legitimate security interests of Russia and its neighboring countries.

 

In order to stop further massive destruction of the cities as quickly as possible and to accelerate ceasefire negotiations, the federal government should suggest that the cities currently under siege, most at risk and so far largely undestroyed, such as Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa, become "undefended cities". the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Convention of 1949. Thanks to the concept already defined in the Hague Convention on Land Warfare, numerous cities were able to prevent their devastation during the Second World War.

 

The prevailing logic of war must be replaced by a courageous logic of peace and a new European and global peace architecture must be created, including Russia and China. Our country must not stand on the sidelines here, but must play an active role.

 

Sincerely,

 

PD dr Johannes M. Becker, political scientist, former managing director of the Center for

Conflict research in Marburg

 

Daniela Dahn, journalist, writer and publicist, PEN member

 

dr Rolf Gössner, lawyer and publicist, International League for Human Rights

 

Jürgen Grässlin, Federal Spokesman DFG-VK and Aktion Aufschrei ‒ Stop the arms trade!

 

Joachim Guilliard, publicist

 

dr Luc Jochimsen, journalist, TV editor, MP 2005-2013

 

Christoph Kramer, Surgeon, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War IPPNW (German Section)

 

Prof. Dr. Karin Kulow, political scientist

 

dr Helmut Lohrer, Doctor, International Councilor, IPPNW (German Section)

 

Prof. Dr. Mohssen Massarrat, political scientist and economist

 

dr Hans Misselwitz, Basic Values ​​Commission of the SPD

 

Ruth Misselwitz, Protestant theologian, former chairwoman of Action Reconciliation

peace services

 

Prof. Dr. Norman Paech, international law expert, former member of the German Bundestag

 

Prof. Dr. Werner Ruf, political scientist and sociologist

 

Prof. Dr. Gert Sommer, psychologist, former board member of the Center for

Conflict research in Marburg

 

Hans Christoph Graf von Sponeck, former Assistant Secretary General of the UN

 

dr Antje Vollmer, former Vice President of the German Bundestag

 

Konstantin Wecker, musician, composer and author

 

https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik-gesellschaft/offener-brief-fordert-von-scholz-stopp-der-waffenlieferungen-an-die-ukraine-li.223704