Kyiv, Ukraine - Friday, December 23, 2022
Dear friends,
Since it seems that Presidents Putin [1] and Zelensky [2] are determined to ignore calls [3] for a Christmas Truce, I wonder whether it is possible to create a platform, safe space for online fraternization between Ukrainian and Russian people (with option for anonymity, with strong no-war-speech rules) in the spirit of Christmas.
It could be a contingency plan for the international peace movement in case, if our advocacy efforts fail to push for a real-life Christmas truce this year.
Proposed Ukraine-Russia people's peace talks platform could become permanent institution for citizens diplomacy and future reconciliation, being a forum for public advocacy of peace by any activists or concerned citizens as well as organizing relevant meetings of scholars, experts and decision-makers.
[1] Putin: "everything that is happening, and everything connected with the special military operation, is an absolutely forced and necessary measure" http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/70170 ; "As the holiday season approaches in Ukraine, a Kremlin spokesperson said Moscow was not considering a Christmas-time ceasefire." https://www.euronews.com/2022/12/15/war-in-ukraine-kremlin-says-christmas-ceasefire-is-not-being-discussed
[2] Zelensky: "Just like the brave American soldiers, which held their lines and fought back Hitler’s forces during the Christmas of 1944, brave Ukrainian soldiers are doing the same to Putin’s forces this Christmas." https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/mi-stoyimo-boremos-i-vigrayemo-bo-mi-razom-ukrayina-amerika-80017 ; Zelensky: "there can’t be any just peace in the war that was imposed on us" https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/12/21/remarks-by-president-biden-and-president-zelenskyy-of-ukraine-in-joint-press-conference/
[3] https://www.christmasappeal.ipb.org/ ; https://forusa.org/ukraine/
