In an open letter received by the Berliner Zeitung, 18 representatives of German politics, media, culture, science and law call on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to suspend arms supplies to Ukraine. They argue that Ukraine “should stop military resistance.”
The authors warn the chancellor that military assistance to Ukraine risks “an uncontrolled escalation of the war with unpredictable consequences for the whole world.” As the Berliner Zeitung has learned, the signatories of the letter also want to send it to the Bundestag deputies, who, most likely, will deal with the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine in the next week.
Call to Suspend Arms Delivery
The signatories of the letter, who pose as “persons of diverse backgrounds, political views and positions towards NATO, Russia and the federal government,” call on the chancellor to stop the supply of weapons to Ukrainian troops and encourage the authorities in Kyiv to stop military resistance. In their opinion, Ukraine should be pushed towards this by promises of ceasefire negotiations.
As they stress, “the economic war now unleashed” (ie the sanctions imposed against Russia) threatens supplies in Russia and “in many poor countries of the world.” They also criticize the fact that NATO countries (including Germany) “became participants in this war” by supplying weapons to Ukraine. The authors of the letter also warn against a possible escalation of the conflict and its transformation into a nuclear war.
“The conflict will end with another big war”
“If responsible people (…) do not stop the development of this conflict, it will spread, which will end in another big war. Only this time with the use of nuclear weapons, with extensive destruction and the end of human civilization. Therefore, preventing more and more casualties, destruction and further dangerous escalation must be an absolute priority,” the authors write.
They argue that further arms supplies to Ukraine and military support from NATO will only prolong the war and prevent a “diplomatic solution.” In their opinion, the continuation of Ukraine’s struggle and prolonged military resistance will lead to “more destroyed cities and villages and more victims among the Ukrainian population.” They argue that “despite reports of success for the Ukrainian army, its position is much worse than that of the Russian army, and it has little chance of winning this war.”
“Negotiations on the early withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine should be supported by proposals from NATO countries regarding the legitimate security interests of Russia and neighboring countries,” the authors add.
Finally, the signatories of the letter advise the German chancellor that “the dominant logic of war must be replaced by a bold logic of peace, and a new European and world architecture of peace, including Russia and China, must be created. Our country should not stand aside, but should play an active role in this.”