Dear John,

Our hearts continue to break for the devastations faced by Ukrainians, even while we're inspired by their courage every day in refusing to give in to occupation by a dictator with imperial ambitions.

Vladimir Putin's destructive choice to launch an unprovoked invasion is backfiring as the global community unites around Ukraine. And every action that we take to live into that solidarity is important. Wherever we are, we can help keep the light of peace and hope alive for the people of Ukraine by showing our solidarity with them in our homes and our communities—and by reaching into our pockets to put food into their hands.

Click here to download a “We Are With Ukraine” image to put in your window or post online.

And then dig deep to donate whatever you can directly to World Central Kitchen, which is serving fresh meals to people forced to flee the invasion, inside Ukraine and in neighboring countries.

Putin might have thought that violently attacking the people of Ukraine would splinter them along ethnic, linguistic, and religious lines, expand his legacy at home, and result in Ukraine allying with Putin. The exact opposite is happening: He has united Ukrainians against him, inspired a wave of protests in Russia, and unified the global embrace of an independent, democratic, and free Ukraine.¹ Rather than conceding to Putin's demands, the European Parliament has voted to advance Ukraine's application to join the European Union.²

We're part of that global outcry. Over 150,000 of us have signed the MoveOn statement in support for the people of Ukraine, just as a crowd of 100,000 marched in Berlin against Putin's war.³

Solidarity takes many forms. Our governments have a critical role to play, as the Biden administration has joined with countries from Switzerland to Japan in taking strong economic sanctions against Putin's government. Those steps are crucial, but they aren't the only avenue for action. Cultural acts of solidarity have come from all sorts of places: From sports leagues, who have moved their games out of Russia in protest of the invasion of Ukraine, to New York's Metropolitan Opera and the Munich Philharmonic, who cut ties with a conductor and close Putin ally who refused to denounce the invasion, there are many important ways to act against war.⁴

MoveOn members have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars directly to Ukrainian relief efforts, while also using our collective voice to advocate for a diplomacy-first, peaceful end to this conflict. One more simple way is to display your support for Ukraine's democracy to your friends and family, or by donating to food relief efforts.

Download and print a solidarity with Ukraine sign now and display it prominently or post it online.

Experts estimated that 7 million people in Ukraine could be displaced by Putin's war.⁵ Already, more than 1.7 million people have flooded across borders to neighboring Poland, Hungary, Romania, and beyond in the dead of winter.⁶ World Central Kitchen is responding to the acute need, using their experience in bringing food relief to areas hit by disasters and war to help give people food and hope. We might not be able to go join them, but we can help their work by making a generous donation, small or large, right now.

Donate to World Central Kitchen’s fund for emergency food relief in Ukraine.

Unless we stop Putin from seeing war as a positive choice, we'll continue to see more death and destruction. So let's come together now and show solidarity with Ukraine.

Thanks for all you do,

— MoveOn

P.S. This petition was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition to push for progressive change here.

Sources:

"Attack on Ukraine brings rare sight in Russia: Protests in cities against Putin and invasion," The Washington Post, February 24, 2022 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/24/russia-ukraine-protests-putin/

2. "European Parliament Backs Ukraine's EU Application, But Long Road Ahead," Newsweek, March 1, 2022 https://www.newsweek.com/european-parliament-accepts-ukraines-application-join-eu-work-remains-1683796

3. "As over 100,000 rally for Ukraine, Germany announces vast defense spending increase that may upend European security policy," The Washington Post, February 27, 2022 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/27/europe-germany-defense-russia-ukraine/

4. "Munich Philharmonic drops star conductor Valery Gergiev over Putin ties," DW Akademie, March 1, 2022 https://www.dw.com/en/munich-philharmonic-drops-star-conductor-valery-gergiev-over-putin-ties/a-60956367

5. "EU says expects millions of displaced Ukrainians," Reuters, February 27, 2022 https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-says-expects-more-than-7-million-displaced-ukrainians-2022-02-27/

6. “More than 1.7 million Ukrainians have fled to Central Europe, UN says,” Reuters, March 8, 2022 https://www.reuters.com/world/more-than-17-million-ukrainians-have-fled-un-says-tide-refugees-grows-2022-03-07/

PAID FOR BY MOVEON CIVIC ACTION. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.