"We – political activists, intellectuals and citizens – who have signed this plea for a coherent, universal and international diplomatic initiative for peace in Europe and the world are convinced of the following:
The bloodshed and destruction in Ukraine must end. We stand with the people of Ukraine and all victims of this war, who deserve peace, reconstruction and freedom as soon as possible. Nevertheless, one thing is clear: neither peace nor reconstruction and freedom will be possible without negotiations. Only 20 percent of all inter-state wars end in clear victory or defeat, and even then, often only after many years. Civil society and the international community must therefore make every effort to pave the way for armistice, followed by talks for a lasting peace.
Even if negotiations ended early on during the war and even if, ever since, neither the Russian nor the Ukrainian government have shown their willingness to negotiate beyond prisoner exchanges, the export of agricultural produce and the like, an end to the violence and negotiations for peace can also be brokered. It is not enough to wait for the governments in Kyiv and Moscow to come to the table on their own or for the fatigue of those caught in this bloody war of attrition to force them to do so. We here in Germany, Europe, and the West are tired of only discussing which “game-changing” weapons to deliver next — we want to develop ways of how Western governments can help to actually facilitate peace talks.
It is important to take up the diplomatic initiatives from China, Brazil, the African and other countries in order to move the warring parties towards an end to war. We must push Western governments, which are currently more preoccupied with paving the way for a new bloc confrontation with China and Russia instead of demonstrating genuine solidarity with people in Ukraine.
As we all know, perspectives on the current war vary considerably across the international left. Nevertheless, we believe that a common position is possible: a united appeal for negotiations and pressure on our governments to invest not in weapons but in diplomacy — because what is at stake is peace, freedom, countless lives and also the democratic prospects of Ukraine and Russia. We must take up the question of how to ensure peace and security in Europe without further rearmament and a new militarist Cold War mentality. In the interest of addressing humanity’s great historic challenges – social justice, climate change, and democratic participation – we must act today and prevent a new bloc confrontation. Ending the war in Ukraine and creating peace is the starting point for this."