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Britain’s role in escalating the war between Russia and Ukraine has been condemned in a letter handed in to No 10 Downing Street today (29 August) by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Stop the War Coalition (StWC).
The two organisations warned the Prime Minister of ever closer nuclear war and urged Keir Starmer and his government to end the supplies of arms to Ukraine and instead seek an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations between the two countries.
“Part of this process must be the cessation of British arms shipments to Ukraine. It is reported that hundreds of thousands have already been killed in this conflict and countless more injured and displaced; infrastructure and livelihoods have been destroyed. Our weapons shipments, and failure to work for a ceasefire, play their part in this slaughter and destruction,” the letter said.
CND and StWC went on to warn of the terrible risks of the war escalating into a conflict between NATO and Russia presented by the government’s demand that Ukraine be able to fire UK Storm Shadow missiles at targets inside Russia. They called for the billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money being spent on arming Ukraine, including the Challenger 2 tanks used in the Kursk incursion, to be used instead on improving the lives of millions of people in Britain facing poverty and deprivation.
“Our public services and infrastructure are in crisis, our schools and hospitals are crumbling, homelessness is soaring, and your government has inherited a massive financial shortfall from the Conservative government. Our government should be investing in sustainable economic growth at home, not fueling this terrible conflict.
“We call on you to use the billions you are pouring into this war to instead rebuild the fabric of our society, and improve the lives of millions here in Britain that face poverty and deprivation. We urge you to support a ceasefire in Ukraine, and to work for a lasting peace settlement between Ukraine and Russia. It’s time for the killing to end.”
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The full text of the letter:
29 August 2024
Dear Prime Minister,
We condemn the UK’s role in the escalation of the war between Russia and Ukraine and urge the government to recognise the dangers it is unleashing. Every day brings the risk of nuclear war closer and we call on the government to call for a ceasefire and peace negotiations as a matter of urgency.
Part of this process must be the cessation of British arms shipments to Ukraine. It is reported that hundreds of thousands have already been killed in this conflict and countless more injured and displaced; infrastructure and livelihoods have been destroyed. Our weapons shipments, and failure to work for a ceasefire, play their part in this slaughter and destruction.
Current government demands that Ukraine should be able to fire UK Storm Shadows at targets inside Russia risk escalating this war to a conflict between NATO and Russia. The consequences would be too terrible to contemplate. British supply of Challenger 2 tanks has also stoked the fires of war, as have billions of pounds of British taxpayers’ money.
Our public services and infrastructure are in crisis, our schools and hospitals are crumbling, homelessness is soaring, and your government has inherited a massive financial shortfall from the Conservative government. Our government should be investing in sustainable economic growth at home, not fuelling this terrible conflict.
We call on you to use the billions you are pouring into this war to instead rebuild the fabric of our society, and improve the lives of millions here in Britain that face poverty and deprivation. We urge you to support a ceasefire in Ukraine, and to work for a lasting peace settlement between Ukraine and Russia. It’s time for the killing to end.
Yours sincerely,
Shelly Asquith, Stop the War Co-Chair
Lindsey German, Stop the War Convenor
Kate Hudson, CND General Secretary
Alex Kenny, Stop the War Co-Chair
Chris Nineham, Stop the War Vice-Chair
Carol Turner, CND Vice-Chair
Tom Unterrainer, CND Chair
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