Manifesto for peace
Today is the 352nd day of war in Ukraine. Over 200,000 soldiers and 50,000 civilians have been killed so far. Women have been raped, children frightened, an entire nation traumatized. If the fighting continues like this, Ukraine will soon be a depopulated, destroyed country. And many people throughout Europe are also afraid of an expansion of the war. They fear for their future and that of their children.
The Ukrainian people, brutally invaded by Russia, need our solidarity. But what would be solidarity now? How much longer should fighting and dying continue on the battlefield of Ukraine? And what is now, one year later, actually the goal of this war? The German foreign minister recently spoke of "us" waging a "war against Russia." Seriously?
President Selenskyj makes no secret of his goal. After the promised tanks, he is now demanding fighter jets, long-range missiles and warships - to defeat Russia across the board? The German chancellor still assures that he does not want to send fighter jets or "ground troops." But how many "red lines" have already been crossed in recent months?
It is to be feared that Putin will launch a maximum counterattack at the latest in the event of an attack on Crimea. Are we then heading inexorably down a slippery slope toward world war and nuclear war? It would not be the first major war that has started this way. But it might be the last.
Ukraine can win individual battles - supported by the West. But it cannot win a war against the world's largest nuclear power. That's what the U.S.'s top military man, General Milley, says. He speaks of a stalemate in which neither side can win militarily and the war can only be ended at the negotiating table. Then why not now? Immediately.
Negotiating does not mean surrendering. Negotiating means making compromises, on both sides. With the goal of preventing further hundreds of thousands of deaths and worse. That's what we think too, that's what half of the German population thinks. It is time to listen to us!
We citizens of Germany cannot directly influence America and Russia or our European neighbors. But we can and must hold our government and the Chancellor to account and remind him of his oath: "To avert harm from the German people."
We call on the Chancellor to stop the escalation of arms deliveries. Now! He should lead a strong alliance for a ceasefire and for peace negotiations on the German as well as on the European level. Now! Because every day lost costs up to 1,000 more lives - and brings us closer to a 3rd world war.
Alice Schwarzer and Sahra Wagenknecht
INITIAL 69 SIGNATORIES
Dr. Franz Alt Journalist und Bigi Alt • Christian Baron Author • Franziska Becker Cartoonist • Dr. Thilo Bode Founder of Foodwatch • Prof. Dr. Peter Brandt Historian • Rainer Braun Internationales Friedensbüro (International Office for Peace) • Andrea Breth Director • Dr. Ulrich Brinkmann Sociologist • Prof. Dr. Christoph Butterwegge Poverty Researcher • Dr. Angelika Claußen IPPNW Vice-President Europe • Daniela Dahn Author • Rudolf Dressler Former Secretary of State (SPD) • Eugen Drewermann Theolog • Anna Dünnebier Author • Dr. Petra Erler Executive Director (SPD) • Valie Export Artist • Bettina Flitner Photographer and Author • Justus Frantz Conductor and Pianist • Holger Friedrich Publisher Berliner Zeitung • Katharina Fritsch Artist • Prof. Dr. Hajo Funke Political Scientist • Dr. Peter Gauweiler Lawyer (CSU) • Jürgen Grässlin Dt. Friedensgesellschaft (German Society for Peace) • Wolfgang Grupp Entrepreneur • Prof. Dr. Ulrike Guérot Political Scientist • Gottfried Helnwein Artist • Hannelore Hippe Author • Henry Hübchen Actor • Wolfgang Hummel Jurist • Otto Jäckel Chairman International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA) • Dr. Dirk Jörke Political Scientist • Dr. Margot Käßmann Theologist • Corinna Kirchhoff Actress • Uwe Kockisch Actor • Prof. Dr. Matthias Kreck Mathematician • Oskar Lafontaine Former Prime Minister • Detlef Malchow Businessman • Gisela Marx Journalist • Prof. Dr. Rainer Mausfeld Psychologist • Roland May Director • Maria Mesrian Theologist • Reinhard Mey Musician and Hella Mey • Prof. Dr. Klaus Moegling Political Scientist • Michael Müller Chairman NaturFreunde • Franz Nadler Connection e. V. • Dr. Christof Ostheimer Chairman ver.di Neumünster • Dr. Tanja Paulitz Sociologist • Romani Rose Chairman Central Council of German Sinti und Roma • Eugen Ruge Author • Helke Sander Filmmaker • Michael von der Schulenburg UN-Diplomat Ret. • Hanna Schygulla Actress • Martin Sonneborn Journalist (Die Partei) • Jutta Speidel Actress • Dr. Hans-C. von Sponeck Assistant Secretary General UN Ret. • Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Streeck Sociologist und Political Scientist • Katharina Thalbach Actress • Dr. Jürgen Todenhöfer Politician • Prof. Gerhard Trabert Social Medicine • Bernhard Trautvetter Friedensratschlag • Dr. Erich Vad Brigadier General Ret. • Prof. Dr. Johannes Varwick Political Scientist • Günter Verheugen Ex-Vice President EU-Commission • Dr. Antje Vollmer Theologist (Die Grünen) • Prof. Dr. Peter Weibel Art and Media Theorist • Nathalie Weidenfeld Author • Hans-Eckardt Wenzel Songwriter • Dr. Theodor Ziegler Religious Educator
