Open Letter From US
PEACE COUNCIL
P. O. Box
3105, New Haven, Connecticut 06515
Telephone:
203-387-0370; Fax: 203-397-2539; Email: amistad.nai@rcn.com
March
30, 2016
Our
Abolitionist Friends:
The
Sixth Nuclear Security Conference is taking place. 51 nations are
participating.
A
glaring absentee is Russia.
Whether one considers this
Conference important in the long struggle to abolish nuclear
weapons or not,
Russia’s absence must be understood in light of US/NATO troops on
her borders in the Ukraine.
The anti-nuclear weapons
movement cannot continue to ignore this dangerous situation
as if it had no bearing on
the issue. It is obvious there will be no serious discussions
involving the two nations with the greatest nuclear weapons arsenal
while Russia faces a superior conventional/technologically advanced
enemy. Vladimir Putin has stated ‘don’t forget we are a nuclear
weapons state’.
The anti-nuclear weapons
movement must face this reality. We must come together,
with all our global
strength, to demand a just diplomatic, political solution to this
crisis.
US/NATO troops must be
removed. Ukraine must be restored as a sovereign, non-aligned
Nation, with full
recognition of the right of Ukrainians to determine their own
destiny, culture and language.
Without such an
understanding and campaign, even with the enthusiasm and energy of
the ICAN movement, the acceptance by so many nations, the campaign
will falter, weaken in face of the cold reality of a crisis that can
lead to World War 3.
Yours
in peace,
Alfred L. Marder
President
Member of
the World Peace Council