Chris Marstall: Dismayed by group’s stance on Ukraine

I was dismayed to see uncritical coverage of a group calling for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine featured on the Recorder’s front page [“A call for peace talks rings out,” Feb. 25].

As a lifelong lefty, this group’s stance escapes me. Ukraine is defending itself against a thuggish imperial force that has brought terror to a fifth of its territory. A call for “peace” risks appearing to want to reward Russian President Vladimir Putin for his aggressions against Europe’s democracies. Never thought I would see Donald Trump and a supposedly leftist organization on the same page like this.

Massachusetts Peace Action’s emphasis on nuclear risks plays right into Putin’s hands. Russia has been brandishing its nukes in Europe since at least the 1950s, yet somehow we have still found a way to defend democracy there. Why stop now?

The story in question didn’t include a quote from the target of the protest, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern. So I’ll share something he posted on his website in April 2024: “Congress should provide long-overdue aid to help the Ukrainian people repel Russia’s illegal invasion. They did not choose this conflict — Putin did. He is a bully who acts with total disregard for human life — jailing his critics, murdering opposition leaders, and attempting to destroy democracy in Ukraine. He wants to rebuild the Russian empire.”

Chris Marstall

Greenfield