SNA (Tokyo) — US lawmakers led by Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal reversed course under heavy criticism and withdrew in a matter of hours their letter which called on US President Joe Biden to initiate a “proactive diplomatic push” for a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“If there is a way to end the war while preserving a free and independent Ukraine, it is America’s responsibility to pursue every diplomatic avenue to support such a solution that is acceptable to the people of Ukraine,” the lawmakers’ letter had contended. “The alternative to diplomacy is protracted war, with both its attendant certainties and catastrophic and unknowable risks.”

The letter elicited a strong negative reaction from those who advocate a continuation of the war, especially now that it seems Ukrainian forces have gained the advantage on the battlefield.

Some of the crossfire came from fellow Democratic lawmakers, such as a tweet from Senator Chris Murphy who responded, “There is moral and strategic peril in sitting down with Putin too early. It risks legitimizing his crimes and handing over parts of Ukraine to Russia in an agreement that Putin won’t even honor. Sometimes, a bully must be shown the limits of his power before diplomacy can work.”

US Representative Ruben Gallego, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus which Jayapal leads, was even more direct in his criticism, tweeting, “The way to end a war? Win it quickly. How is it won quickly? By giving Ukraine the weapons to defeat Russia.”

Along the same lines was the argument of centrist Democratic Party lawmaker Jake Auchincloss, who tweeted that “this letter is an olive branch to a war criminal who’s losing his war.”

Even some of the thirty progressive lawmakers who signed the letter walked away from it. For example, Congresswoman Sara Jacobs tweeted, “Timing in diplomacy is everything. I signed this letter on June 30, but a lot has changed since then. I wouldn’t sign it today. We have to continue supporting Ukraine economically and militarily to give them the leverage they need to end this war.”

A similar line was adopted by prominent progressive lawmaker Ilhan Omar.

This argument also became the basis for Jayapal’s justification for withdrawing the letter, as well as her contested assertion that there was some failure on the part of her staff; Jayapal’s withdrawal note explained that “the letter was drafted several months ago, but unfortunately was released by staff without vetting. As Chair of the Caucus, I accept responsibility for this.”

Most of the thirty progressive signers of the letter–including its most prominent figure, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez–have maintained public silence throughout the controversy over the past few days.

In fact, the only lawmaker to step up and continue to publicly defend the letter is Representative Ro Khanna, who tweeted, “I have voted for every defense package to Ukraine. Calling for exploring every diplomatic avenue to avoid nuclear war and seek a ceasefire while upholding Ukraine sovereignty is what many constituents seek. Our nation should never silence or shout down debate.”

Khanna was also alone among his colleagues in defending the staffers whom Jayapal very publicly threw under the bus: “Let me just say something about Mike Darner and Congressional Progressive Caucus staff. They are extraordinary. They have helped shape the biggest goals for progressives and have been very effective in our wins. They are committed also to human rights and diplomacy. Progressives owe them a debt of gratitude.”

Needless to say, the decision to first release a letter calling for enhanced diplomacy in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and then withdrawing it hours later, invited contempt from all sides of the debate.

For those, like Gallego and Auchincloss, who believe that total victory in the war is the only acceptable way forward, the original letter was an outrage which they will not easily forget.

For those who believe that it is prudent to move toward a ceasefire now, to end the daily killing and to head off a potential nuclear war, the decision to quickly withdraw the letter was cowardly.

Indeed, many progressives long ago became frustrated with progressive lawmakers whom they feel often fail to match words with deeds, lacking the boldness which is needed to effectively challenge the incumbent regime.

Journalist David Sirota was referring to this stream of opinion when he noted that “it’s sadly on brand that progressives’ ‘let’s maybe try to avoid World War III and a nuclear holocaust’ letter is being rescinded out of cowardice.”

Progressive media commentator Krystal Ball was more outspoken on her online program Breaking Points, stating that “you are not allowed to dissent even one inch, which is effectively what this letter was… They instantly caved. This is a repeated problem with the so-called Progressive Caucus where they cannot take any heat from Democratic leadership, from the mainstream press, from fricken idiot pontificators on Twitter. They can’t take it. They just instantly fold.”

Original Letter by Thirty Congressional Progressive Caucus Lawmakers, October 24, 2022

Dear Mr. President:

We write with appreciation for your commitment to Ukraine’s legitimate struggle against Russia’s war of aggression. Your support for the self defense of an independent, sovereign, and democratic state has been supported by Congress, including through various appropriations of military, economic and humanitarian aid in furtherance of this cause. Your administration’s policy was critical to enable the Ukrainian people, through their courageous fighting and heroic sacrifices, to deal a historic military defeat to Russia, forcing Russia to dramatically scale back the stated goals of the invasion.

Crucially, you achieved this while also maintaining that it is imperative to avoid direct military conflict with Russia, which would lead to “World War III, something we must strive to prevent.” The risk of nuclear weapons being used has been estimated to be higher now than at any time since the height of the Cold War. Given the catastrophic possibilities of nuclear escalation and miscalculation, which only increase the longer this war continues, we agree with your goal of avoiding direct military conflict as an overriding national-security priority.

Given the destruction created by this war for Ukraine and the world, as well as the risk of catastrophic escalation, we also believe it is in the interests of Ukraine, the United States, and the world to avoid a prolonged conflict. For this reason, we urge you to pair the military and economic support the United States has provided to Ukraine with a proactive diplomatic push, redoubling efforts to seek a realistic framework for a ceasefire. This is consistent with your recognition that “there’s going to have to be a negotiated settlement here,” and your concern that Vladimir Putin “doesn’t have a way out right now, and I’m trying to figure out what we do about that.”

We are under no illusions regarding the difficulties involved in engaging Russia given its outrageous and illegal invasion of Ukraine and its decision to make additional illegal annexations of Ukrainian territory. However, if there is a way to end the war while preserving a free and independent Ukraine, it is America’s responsibility to pursue every diplomatic avenue to support such a solution that is acceptable to the people of Ukraine. Such a framework would presumably include incentives to end hostilities, including some form of sanctions relief, and bring together the international community to establish security guarantees for a free and independent Ukraine that are acceptable for all parties, particularly Ukrainians. The alternative to diplomacy is protracted war, with both its attendant certainties and catastrophic and unknowable risks.

Russia’s invasion has caused incalculable harm for the people of Ukraine, leading to the deaths of countless thousands of civilians, Ukrainian soldiers, and displacement of 13 million people, while Russia’s recent seizure of cities in Ukraine’s east have led to the most pivotal moment in the conflict and the consolidation of Russian control over roughly 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory. The conflict threatens an additional tens of millions more worldwide, as skyrocketing prices in wheat, fertilizer and fuel spark acute crises in global hunger and poverty. A war that is allowed to grind on for years—potentially escalating in intensity and geographic scope—threatens to displace, kill, and immiserate far more Ukrainians while causing hunger, poverty, and death around the world. The conflict has also contributed to elevated gas and food prices at home, fueling inflation and high oil prices for Americans in recent months. Economists believe that if the situation in Ukraine is stabilized, some of the speculative concerns driving higher fuel costs will subside and likely lead to a drop in world oil prices.

We agree with the Administration’s perspective that it is not America’s place to pressure Ukraine’s government regarding sovereign decisions, and with the principle you have enunciated that there should be “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” But as legislators responsible for the expenditure of tens of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars in military assistance in the conflict, we believe such involvement in this war also creates a responsibility for the United States to seriously explore all possible avenues, including direct engagement with Russia, to reduce harm and support Ukraine in achieving a peaceful settlement.

In May, President Zelensky, despite deadlocked negotiations, reiterated that the war “will only definitively end through diplomacy,” and had previously explained that “any mentally healthy person always chooses the diplomatic path, because he or she knows: even if it is difficult, it can prevent the loss of thousands, tens of thousands… and maybe even millions of lives.”

In conclusion, we urge you to make vigorous diplomatic efforts in support of a negotiated settlement and ceasefire, engage in direct talks with Russia, explore prospects for a new European security arrangement acceptable to all parties that will allow for a sovereign and independent Ukraine, and, in coordination with our Ukrainian partners, seek a rapid end to the conflict and reiterate this goal as America’s chief priority.

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