Dear John,
It may sound cliché to say that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has changed the world, but the truth is that — even with an unprecedented level of news coverage — the war is even more dangerous than the extensive national conversation about it lets on.
The impact on Ukraine and Ukrainians — those killed and injured, those displaced from the country and those who remain within it — is clear and devastating. The war also marks a new and dangerous level of militarism — and not just in Moscow or the neighbor it is besieging.
With Washington leading the way, policy makers and arms manufacturers in Western capitals have developed a new appetite for increasing military budgets, selling more weapons, and escalating international hostilities.
U.S. military spending could skyrocket to $813 billion under the Biden administration’s next budget — and that’s not even counting over $20 billion in new weapons and military training for Ukraine, only the latest amount authorized by Congress. And even as the White House cheered the likely entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO, the president was touring East Asia to shore up military alliances.
While the Ukraine crisis has touched the hearts of millions in this country and elsewhere in profoundly human ways, powerful governments of the world are seizing on it as an opportunity to invest in a future of war.
With your support, the Institute for Policy Studies has spent more than 50 years fighting militarism and the escalation of violence. And with your continued support, we’re proud to speak out again in this pivotal moment.
Since February, we’ve been publicly responding to the invasion through interviews and writing, and acting as a resource to anti-war and other movements as well as members of Congress behind the scenes.
We’re working to promote solidarity with the people of Ukraine by condemning the Russian invasion while also critiquing escalating U.S. weapons sales and increased troop deployments to Europe.
We’re supporting the rights of Ukrainian refugees while highlighting the plight of Africans, South Asians, and other people of color who have been displaced from Ukraine — and calling attention to the refugees and asylum seekers from many other places who face racist barriers that most Ukrainians do not.
The Russian invasion has made war and displacement visible to many more people in this country. We are doing our part to make sure that this horrific violence is not used to promote more war.
That’s where you come in. Your gift of $20.00, $35.00 , or $50.00 today keeps us independent and loud in the face of those who would see us throw away hard-earned tax dollars toward endless wars.
With your help, IPS researchers and organizers will keep coordinating with our allies across the country to fight the spread of militarism. Your gift today is an investment in the future of the peace movement, giving us the flexibility to speak clearly and honestly in support of diplomacy instead of war — and helping us raise up the next generation of activist leaders in our fellowship programs.
