Activists Demand Speaker Pelosi Stop Fast-Tracking $500M in Weapons to Ukraine

San Francisco activists from CODEPINK plan to gather at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's residence to object to reported plans to fast-track hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons to Ukraine.

Their message: House Resolution 6470, known as the Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act of 2022, massively increases the war budget by $500 million dollars, fast-tracks funds to bolster Ukraine's military, and imposes sanctions on Russia. Why is Pelosi fast-tracking H.R. 6470 and risking a dangerous military confrontation with Russia? We demand that the US government not provoke Russia into a regional or world war that would spell disaster. Instead, we should call for a moratorium on NATO expansion, pull back our troops and missiles on Russia's borders, and seek a negotiated solution to the current crisis.

SF Bay CODEPINK organizer Cynthia Papermaster:

"We are holding this press conference to tell Nancy Pelosi to stop trying to rush H.R. 6470 through Congress. This bill will authorize heavy sanctions and $500 million in weapons and other aid to Ukraine, further militarizing the tense situation between Ukraine, Russia and the United States. We must halt, not increase, arms shipments to Ukraine. Instead spend the $500 million on healthcare for all, the climate emergency, housing, eliminating student debt. We do not want war with Russia"

Col. (Ret.) Ann Wright, former diplomat and member of the CODEPINK National Staff:

"We demand true discussion, dialogue, diplomacy on steroids instead of war-mongering to save the lives of the innocent civilians that are at stake around the world."

CODE PINK's opinion is shared by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, whose leaders Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Seattle) issued a statement saying:

"There is no military solution out of this crisis -- diplomacy needs to be the focus."

(https://progressives.house.gov/press-releases?ID=DC95B5E6-BC94-4DDC-812B-68AE063CC787)

CODEPINK Coordinator Eleanor Levine :

"Let's be clear. The Ukranian people don't want war; the Russian people don't want war; and the American people don't want yet another war. The main war casualties will be innocent civilians (children, women, and men) and soldiers at home and abroad sacrificed for the benefit of the war industry.

Marcy Winograd, coordinator, CODEPINK Congress

"Russia wants the US to keep its promise not to expand NATO to Ukraine. Russia does not want tanks and missiles pointed at its border. Would we? The U.S. should support a moratorium on NATO expansion."

The activist group calls for Americans to take 3 steps to avoid war with Ukraine.

1. Call the White House to urge diplomacy, not troops and weapons White House Comment Line: (202) 456-1111.

2. Call Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (202) 225-4965. Tell her not to bring HR 6470 to the floor of the House.

3. Call your Congress member via Capitol Hill Switchboard (202) 224-3121. Tell them to refuse to sign on to H.R. 6470. Instead, ask them to introduce legislation supporting a moratorium on NATO expansion.

For updates on the Ukraine crisis visit https://www.codepink.org/