Bringing Russian and American citizens together in Peace since 1983.
Dear CCI Friends,
We’ve been silent during this horrific period in world history; however, seems to us that the gravity of combined disasters are educating everyone concerning the devastating international circumstances ahead … unless current Democratic leaders are stopped in their tracks. We among many, many Democrats will not be voting our party in the nearest future.
Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives
Dear CCI Readers,
Sixty years ago the world lived through a crisis that brought humanity to the very brink of nuclear war. Even after 6 decades the terror and fear still resonates with anyone who lived through this crisis. Today, even although nuclear weapons are much more advanced and lethal than they were in the 1960’s, the fear of nuclear war is strangely absent. In 1962 the name calling we hear today did not exist and both sides treated each other with mutual respect. Perhaps this was because both leaders had experienced the horror of the second world war and understood the need to work together to avoid a direct confrontation. Today, mutual respect is absent and there is little diplomacy or communication despite the fact that a shooting war has broken out between Russia and Ukraine and the USA is providing weapons and financial support to Ukraine.
Like all of us who are paying attention, Tony Cox sees “Echos of a brush with Armageddon” in today’s events.
Center for Citizen Initiatives
info@ccisf.org
It is safe to assume that any use of nuclear weapons could quickly lead to an escalation of a local or regional conflict into a global one.
National Interest
September 28, 2022
By Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the United States
As Henry Kissinger wrote in 2014, “The demonization of Vladimir Putin is not a policy; it is an alibi for the absence of one.”
I have commenced my work on this article for two reasons. Firstly, this October will mark sixty years since the Cuban Missile Crisis when the USSR and the United States were on the verge of a nuclear conflict. This is an occasion to look closer at the foreign policy lessons that the two great powers have learned from that dramatic time. I believe that any American will see eye-to-eye with me that we must not allow the explosive situation of the 1960s to repeat. It is important that not only Russia and the United States, but also other nuclear states, confirmed in a common statement that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.
Secondly, we are witnessing a surge of concern from the international community and U.S. experts about the possibility of a nuclear conflict between Moscow and Washington. This issue has become even more acute in recent days when senior officials of the U.S. administration began sending us direct signals warning against the use of nuclear weapons in the Russian special military operation in Ukraine. Moreover, threats against us have started to be heard from the official establishment.
Princeton University has even made predictions that millions of Americans and Russians would perish in the exchange of nuclear strikes. Sometimes it feels like we are returning to the years of McCarthyism in this issue. One hardly can forget former U.S. secretary of defense James Forrestal who jumped out of the window yelling “the Russians are coming.”
The U.S. media is abounding in publications by pseudo-experts who are ignorant of history and misinterpret the current state of affairs. They erroneously compare today’s situation with the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Dear CCI Readers,
Jack F. Matlock was the last US Ambassador to the USSR in 1990. Ambassador Matlock shares his thoughts on the need for the United States to press for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Here are some excerpts from his article:
—”The war might have been prevented — probably would have been prevented — if Ukraine had been willing to abide by the Minsk agreement, recognize the Donbas as an autonomous entity within Ukraine, avoid NATO military advisors, and pledge not to enter NATO. Nevertheless, what was possible even as late as January 2022 may not be possible now. The Russian annexation of additional territory raises the stakes. But the longer the war continues the harder it is going to be to avoid the utter destruction of Ukraine.” –“Increasingly, European publics are likely to blame the United States for policies that fuel inflation and bring on economic recession, especially as their currencies weaken against the dollar. The U.S. sanctions on Russia will be seen by many as self-serving attempts to dominate Western Europe.”
–“A new iron curtain is now being imposed on Russia — this time by Western policy — even as the United States announces more measures to confront and “contain” an assertive China. This will result, inevitably, in more cooperation between Russia and China. Also, the increasing use of economic sanctions to achieve political purposes will encounter push-back with a greater volume of international trade conducted in national currencies other than the U.S. dollar.”
–“As Europe is weakened and more countries suffer from U.S. sanctions, coalitions to resist U.S. dominance will flourish. Geopolitical competition will take precedence over action to deal with common problems, even as international conflict intensifies them.”
–“What all the parties to the conflict in Ukraine seem to have forgotten is that the future of mankind will not be determined by where international borders are drawn — these have never been static in history and doubtless will continue to change from time to time. The future of mankind will be determined by whether nations learn to settle their differences peacefully.”
Kind Regards,
Krishen Mehta
Director Center for Citizen Initiatives
Dear CCI Community:
A new opinion poll has been been released regarding public attitudes towards the war in Ukraine. It was conducted by Data For Progress on behalf of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. See: Poll: Americans support quick diplomatic end to war in Ukraine. The results of this new poll are similar to two other polls from Morning Consult and Concerned Veterans for America which show at least a plurality of Americans are tired of the US intervention in Ukraine, and that twice as many Americans want to send less aid to Ukraine rather than more.
The results of the most recent poll included:
“Nearly 60 percent of Americans would support the United States engaging in diplomatic efforts “as soon as possible” to end the war in Ukraine, even if that means Ukraine having to make concessions to Russia…”
“The survey, … also found that a plurality (49 percent) said the Biden administration and Congress have not done enough diplomatically to help end the war while 37 percent said they had.”
CCI also supports diplomatic efforts to engage Russia and end this dangerous war.
Sylvia M. Demarest
Director, Center For Citizen Initiatives