This further Invasion of Ukraine will have devastating consequences.

 This further Invasion of Ukraine will have devastating consequences.    

The Baltimore Nonviolence Center [BNC] condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Janice and I have long protested US imperialism, and at times we have been jailed for our efforts. When Trump was separating children from their families at the border, we were arrested with 68 others in the Russell Senate Office building.  More recently, on February 14, we called upon President Biden to release some $9 billion to the Taliban to avert mass starvation in Afghanistan.  And we are quite aware that Joe Biden was a supporter of the disastrous and morally repugnant invasion of Iraq in 2003.

We are also quite aware of NATO’s illegal encroachment into Eastern Europe, violating a promise not to do so.  Even the right-wing Thomas Friedman in a recent New York Times column made this same point.  However, the people in Ukraine who are suffering from the Russian onslaught had nothing to do with US perfidy regarding the agreement on not expanding NATO.

Russia’s illegal military actions in Ukraine could lead to catastrophic human suffering as happened, for example, in Chechnya from late December 1999 until February 2000. Those unfamiliar with the battle of Grozny should note that the siege and assault by Russian forces left the capital devastated. In 2003, the United Nations called Grozny the most destroyed city on Earth. Anywhere between 5,000 and 8,000 civilians were killed during the siege. If you want to read about Putin’s role in the destruction of Grozny, read Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine.

  BNC consistently supports international law and opposes the unlawful and violent occupations carried out by Israel, Morocco, Russia and other countries. And of course we oppose US tax dollars being provided to Israel to oppress the Palestinians.  Just as we stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and Western Sahara, we stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.  We also extend our thanks to the people of Russia who are condemning the invasion of Ukraine. Many prominent Russian athletes have said No War. We urge all parties in the conflict to uphold obligations under international humanitarian law regarding conduct during wartime.  The international community must provide extensive humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine and safe haven to all who flee this war of aggression. Protection must be provided to those on both sides who refuse to participate in this war.  Most importantly, we call on our legislators not to use this war to justify an increase in the already-bloated US military budget.

 BNC supports non-military ways to address and reverse this act of aggression. We recognize that there are grievances on all sides that need to be addressed, but not by armed conflict.

 As members of Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland, we are very concerned that this military assault could lead to the use of nuclear weapons.  This concern was heightened when Putin threatened to respond to any interference with “consequences that you never have had before in your history.” This ominous statement means that he’s threatening to use nuclear weapons.  Such a threat is prohibited under the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

We are all living in a very dangerous time, most especially the Ukrainians. We are not military experts, but we understand that wars are unpredictable.  Add in the possible use of nuclear weapons, and this could have catastrophic consequences well beyond the borders of Ukraine. We must learn from this tragic moment that international law must be observed and that more countries must ratify the UN Ban Treaty. One story that has garnered scant media attention is the fact that Belarus is holding a referendum to revoke its nuclear-weapon-free pledge in its constitution.  It is presumed that this amendment will pass during this enormously tense time.

We in the peace movement must find ways and further actions we can take in solidarity with those promoting peace. We will continue to speak out and to protest, and will ask others to condemn international law violations and to support peace initiatives. To be frank, I can assert that Janice is so worried about the safety of the Ukrainians that she is desperately looking for ways of providing assistance.  We all must promote peace, disarmament and diplomacy as solutions.

 Max has never seen the play Fiddler on the Roof, but he really enjoyed the film.  It is based on the writings of Sholem Aleichem, but the film is a sanitized version of the displacement of Jews in a village around the turn of the century in Ukraine.  The fiddler, as Tevye told the audience, represents the “fragile balance of life” in the village. The inhabitants suffered greatly when the Czar’s army evicted them. The film ends as the mass evacuation of the villagers is taking place. The community forms a circle one last time before scattering in different directions. As I remember, Tevye spots the fiddler and motions to him to come along, symbolizing that even though he must leave his village, his traditions will always be with him. I do not know if a fiddler is in Ukraine today, but I hope that whatever happens post-invasion that the hopes and dreams of the Ukrainian people will not be extinguished.

Janice Sevre-Duszynska and Max Obuszewski

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs