Stop the War Coalition newsletter 20/01/23

Newsletter – 20/01/23

Stop the War in Ukraine National Demonstration – Sat 25 Feb

Join us on the streets to demand Peace Talks Now at our national ‘Stop the War in Ukraine’ demonstration in London on Sat 25 Feb. 

Rather than pushing for peace talks the US, NATO and other allies are meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to agree massive increases in military aid. The US defence secretary is calling on its allies to ‘dig deeper’ to provide military support, having already pledged an additional $2.5bn themselves. Eleven NATO countries have agreed to increase their supply of arms, with the UK sending 600 Brimstone missiles along with Challenger 2 tanks. Pressure is building on Germany to approve the transfer of German made Leopard tanks to the frontline.

Escalating the conflict in this way will only prolong the war and increase the already appalling levels of suffering. There is no parallel effort to push for peace; British ministers have publicly stated the only way forward is to defeat Russia. The possibility of serious escalation in this war is terrifying. 

This massive militarisation in Europe is not about bringing peace but political posturing and humiliating Russia. The war is completely unjustified, the result of Vladimir Putin’s invasion last February. But instead of pounding the war drums we demand that our government starts promoting diplomatic negotiations and peace talks.

As lines at food banks grow and we hear of over 500 excess deaths a week in our underfunded NHS, the government’s priorities are clear. There is no magic money tree for public services only for weapons of war.

This is why we have called a National Demonstration to call for peace talks now. Help us and spread the word amongst local activists, peace groups, trade unions, faith groups and anyone who wants a more peaceful future. And let us know that you will be there.

You can help support the cost of the demonstration by donating to our crowd funder. Putting on a demo in Central London costs large sums of money – staging and placards alone cost many thousands. So if you can, please give generously today.