Mass. Peace Action Supports Rep. Pressley’s Call for Negotiations to end Ukraine War

Rep. Ayanna Pressley/ Bloomberg News photo
Rep. Ayanna Pressley/ Bloomberg News photo

Cambridge, October 24 – Massachusetts Peace Action applauded Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s decision to join a letter calling for a new strategy in the Ukraine war.

Pressley joined a group of 30 House progressives is urging President Biden to dramatically shift his strategy on the Ukraine war and pursue direct negotiations with Russia, the first time prominent members of his own party have pushed him to change his approach to Ukraine.

 

The letter, sent to the White House on Monday and obtained by The Washington Post, could create more pressure on Biden as he tries to sustain domestic support for the war effort, at a time when the region is heading into a potentially difficult winter and Republicans are threatening to cut aid to Ukraine if they retake Congress.

 

In a letter led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Pressley and 29 other Democrats call on Biden to pair the unprecedented economic and military support the United States is providing Ukraine with a “proactive diplomatic push, redoubling efforts to seek a realistic framework for a ceasefire.”

 

Pressley and her colleagues are specifically concerned that the United States is not engaging in regular dialogue with Russia as part of its effort to end a protracted war that has caused thousands of deaths and displaced 13 million people. The Biden administration has been adamant that it is up to Kyiv whether and when to negotiate with Russia, arguing that Ukrainians as a free people should decide their fate.  But in MAPA’s view, ending this war is a core U.S. national security concern and should be an Administration priority.