As a group we condemn aggression; we condemn the neglect of action to control climate change and save the Planet as a supporter of Life; we condemn any action risking nuclear disaster.
At a time when entire sections of the planet are suffering from the extremes of climate change (roasting under extreme heat, freezing cold, intense hurricanes, floods and droughts, soon sea-level rise, etc), under such a planetary emergency, there is no time, no justification for anyone, be it the USA, China, India, African states, Russia, Iran and all others, to resort to the old style of empire building, of going to war as a tool of political action.
No justification for the aggression of an independent state, member of UN and of the family of nations, nor amassing all manner of arms to try to defend one’s country with more weapons.
Please join us in condemning war “as a tool of political action”. Instead let us use negotiation and where necessary arbitration (as successfully applied to achieve the resumption of export of grain from Ukraine), instead of missiles, tanks and bombs as “arguments”.
We invite Presidents Vladimir and Volodymyr to meet and jointly start negotiations now (with China/the European Union/UN/or other facilitators). Based on a complete acceptance of the democratically elected Government in Ukraine and the conduct of referendum on self-determination of people in Donbas, South Ukraine and Crimea as to their wish to be part of Ukraine, part of Russia, or become independent states). As per UN Charter, of self determination of people and nations.
“The Chernobyl disaster caused irreversible damage to the environment that will last for thousands of years,” says Greenpeace in their 2016 study of the accident. Regrettably belligerents have been putting the world at risk by the military activities at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, which came under attack in August 2022 and which has been under Russian control since 2022. Threatening the use of nuclear warheads will affect the entire Planet negatively and for thousands of years. Russia holds about 6,850 nuclear warheads, the USA 6,550 warheads; France, 290 warheads and China, 280. The UK has 215, Pakistan 145 India 135. Even Israel and North Korea hold some. Any use of even a small number of these could end the Planet’s ability to support biodiversity, including human life. In the name of us the 8 billion humans, we state that no one has the right to take the risk of using nuclear arms, for whatever reason.
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, Ukrainian civilians and young Russian soldiers have been killed and massacred uselessly, not to say criminally since the invasion And this number will double if war persists. So we call for an immediate cease fire: stop firing, talk, both consider the requirement of the other side. Sign an agreement, a peace treaty. Then we can end the negative effects of this war on Western Europe, on African countries, end even the distant threat to the entire planet of exchange of some nuclear weapons, and end sanctions on the Russian population. After a ceasefire, and a peace treaty, we can start the rebuilding of Ukraine, a destroyed country. We support the full resumption of production and export of cereals, grain and natural gas from Russia. Sanctions should end and free trade re-established, as soon as possible.
Having appealed to the Russian and Ukrainian Presidents, we invite all heads of state and leaders in every nation of the world (Sudan today in priority) to hear this crucial appeal for the future, namely: to condemn war “as a tool of political action” and instead to use negotiation, and where necessary arbitration, to solve disagreements.
DR MICHAEL ATCHIA
(Former United Nations Programme Director)
(For Democracy Watch Mauritius)
* To the president of the Russian Federation, H.E. Vladimir Putin and to President of Ukraine, H.E. Volodymyr Zelenskyy
