The U.S. government has so far approved $115 billion in response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, nearly $70 billion of which has been for weapons and military aid. Congress recently approved an Omnibus Bill with a record high $860 billion military budget, and a new $47 billion aid package to Ukraine, $29 billion of it for military spending. This foreign military assistance has made Ukraine the largest recipient of U.S. military assistance in the past century, more than Russia’s entire yearly military budget.

We recognize the urgent need for humanitarian aid, but we are deeply concerned that continued massive military spending and weapons shipments create a protracted war drive and undermine a negotiated settlement. Nearly half of Ukrainians in the war torn areas of the country agree with the need for negotiations to reach a ceasefire. In order to attain peace through a ceasefire and a withdrawal of Russian troops the U.S. has to engage in serious diplomacy. We oppose escalations from the U.S., including further weapons shipments, for the following reasons:

1. It will prolong and expand the war, resulting in more civilian deaths and exacerbating the impacts across the whole world for working people. U.S. military involvement risks dangerously escalating the conflict and increasing the dangers of nuclear catastrophe.
2. It is funneling billions of taxpayer dollars to the Pentagon and the military industrial complex at a time when ordinary Americans are struggling to pay for their basic needs. This is a payout to weapons manufacturers and war profiteers, which will increase their lobbying power and further entrench militarism in American politics.
3. Endless wars and militarism have diverted trillions of dollars into military spending. Billions of dollars are desperately needed to address vital American needs at home, such as an overburdened health care system, our affordable housing crisis, a failing education system, decaying public transit, and the existential threat of climate change.

Let us be as clear as possible: investing billions in yet another war is a slap in the face for working people everywhere. Congress has failed to pass legislation that addresses the rising costs of healthcare, housing, childcare, transportation, and food. This is an embarrassment and a failure.

Please write your representative and tell them to stand against rising militarism, to advocate for diplomacy and de-escalation, and to fight for an economy of peace that puts the needs of working-class people first.