The possibility of nuclear war is the greatest for many decades

“A diplomatic solution has to be found which includes the withdrawal of Russian troops.”

By Kate Hudson, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)

As Russian troops intensify their attack on Ukraine, and reports come in of casualties on both sides, our thoughts are with the people of that country; they are paying a heavy human and economic price for this conflict. Those that throw around bellicose slogans should reflect on what war really means on a human level – the fear, deprivation, dislocation, injury, death, bereavement; the sorrow of war.

The human consequences of war are enough, surely, to make any decent, rational person join the fight for peace, to reject the idea that killing can be necessary, a duty, even heroic. That is why we have been urging the government to find a political and diplomatic solution to the region’s complex problems: to make the Minsk agreements work and call a halt to NATO expansion. But that hasn’t happened.

Instead the warmongering rhetoric has intensified on all sides. Now we have the disaster of the Russian invasion. Now a diplomatic solution has to be found which includes the withdrawal of Russian troops.

And that has to happen, because there is no military solution to this problem. Indeed, the likelihood of military escalation cannot be discounted: the involvement of US and NATO cannot be ruled out. And then to the disasters of conventional warfare facing Ukraine, we could add an additional terror, the impact of which would reach far beyond that region: nuclear war.

The threat of war between the US and Russia is an existential threat. Between them they have almost 12,000 nuclear weapons—some of which are 3,000 times the power of the Hiroshima bomb. Even one nuclear warhead could kill and injure a million people. Its effects would be felt long after the initial explosion, contaminating the environment and causing long-term health consequences including cancer and genetic damage.

As many experts from across the political spectrum have observed, the possibility of nuclear war is the greatest for many decades. If we take no action, if we fail to take a stand against this war, or refuse to speak up for dialogue, for negotiation, for diplomacy, we will make nuclear war more likely. Which one of us can stand by and let that happen?

In the face of such threats, we need the strongest possible anti-nuclear movement, the strongest possible peace movement. I urge you to join CND to give voice to this most just of causes – the right to live in peace, without fear of nuclear annihilation.

There is no possibility whatsoever that war will resolve these complex problems, and it might just end with the destruction of humanity. Only dialogue and a willingness to be open to the concerns of others will make a difference. Please lobby the Prime Minister to this end. Please be part of our movement for peace.