“We urge the British government to end this reckless escalation.”
We publish below in full a letter sent to Keir Starmer by Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott and peace campaigners urging a push for peace and de-escalation earlier this week:
Dear Prime Minister,
We submit this letter to you as the Ukraine-NATO council meets today in Brussels to discuss its response to the worsening escalation between Russia and Ukraine.
We condemn the UK’s role in precipitating this crisis and call on the government to acknowledge the dangers it is unleashing. Every day brings the risk of nuclear war closer.
Britain’s reckless decision to allow Ukraine to fire its long-range Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia has reportedly caused hundreds of fatalities. In retaliation, Russia has launched a hypersonic ballistic missile. Russia has also now lowered its threshold for nuclear use, precisely to respond to such attacks by both the US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Britain’s Storm Shadows.
Britain’s actions are increasing the risk of this conflict lurching into an all-out war between nuclear-armed NATO and Russia. The consequences of such a war are too terrible to contemplate.
We are also deeply shocked by statements from Lieutenant General Magowan, Britain’s Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, at the Defence Select Committee, arguing that “If the British Army was asked to fight tonight, it would fight tonight.” These comments only serve to further increase tensions with Russia.
These actions are deeply reckless, putting at greater risk the lives of Ukrainians and Russians, as well as endangering populations across Europe and here in Britain.
Opinion polls show that the Ukrainian people want an urgent end to this war through peace talks. Across Western Europe very large majorities also want an end to the suffering through a negotiated settlement.
We therefore urge the British government to end this reckless escalation, withdraw the use of its Storm Shadow missiles, and call for a ceasefire and peace negotiations as a matter of urgency.
Yours sincerely,
Diane Abbott MP
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Sophie Bolt, General Secretary, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Lindsey German, Convenor, Stop the War Coalition
- Read the accompanying report to this letter here.
- Read the latest on these issues from CND here and the Stop the War Coalition here.
- If you support Labour Outlook’s work amplifying the voices of left movements and struggles here and internationally, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon.
We may have ridiculed Corbyn and Abbott in the past but they are the only two politicians at the moment who aren’t hurrying their heads in the sand. Complete respect to them both for standing up for us all.