Historian Peter Brandt Leads Call for Negotiations on Peace in Ukraine

On the occasion of the first anniversary of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24, and in view of the daily growing numbers of death, pain and destruction, historian Prof. Dr. Peter Brandt, son of German Chancellor Willy Brandt, the creator of Ostpolitik, together with Reiner Hoffmann (former chairman of the German Trade Union Confederation ), Michael Müller (Federal Chairman of Naturefriends) and Reiner Braun (International Peace Bureau) took the initiative to formulate an appeal to Chancellor Scholz, to apply the successes and lessons learned from the European policy of détente, to join together with France in order to stop the war and “to win Brazil, China, India and Indonesia in particular for mediation in order to quickly achieve a ceasefire. This would be a necessary step to stop the killing and explore peace possibilities.”

The proposal received broad support und signatories from some 200 political, civil society and trade union leaders – including many who had themselves actively contributed to the development and implementation of the détente policies of Willy Brandt, Egon Bahr and Helmut Schmidt. – Wolfgang Biermann, Detente Now

The appeal was launched this weekend under the title “CREATE PEACE! – Ceasefire and Common Security Now!” by the Hannoversche Zeitung, the Berliner Zeitung and the Frankfurt Rundschau (FR). The FR comment about the special value of this appeal in its series “Peace Issues”:

For the first time in this series, an article now appears whose headline ends not with a question mark, but with an exclamation mark. The present text “Frieden schaffen!” is an appeal signed by an impressive list of personalities.

In terms of content, as well as in view of the approximately 200 names on the list of signatures, it is in the tradition of the Social Democratic policy of détente pursued by Egon Bahr and Willy Brandt – and not only because the latter’s son Peter Brandt was one of the initiators. Close associates of the two deceased Social Democrats have also signed, such as Willy Brandt’s former office manager Karl-Heinz Klär and Uwe Stehr, Egon Bahr’s former disarmament adviser.

Numerous representatives from politics, research, trade unions and the cultural sector have also signed the appeal, which reads as follows:

Creating peace: Armistice, negotiations and common security – based on the positive experiences of the European policy of detente, the initiative calls for their continuation so that the war can quickly end and a new peace and security architecture can be established in Europe.

Armistice and Common Security Now!

The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has been going on for more than a year. Every additional day of war means more suffering and destruction for the people affected, more wounded and dead. With each passing day the threat of escalating hostilities grows. The shadow of a nuclear war lies over Europe. But the world must not slide into another great war. The world needs peace. The most important thing is to do everything for a quick ceasefire, stop the Russian war of aggression and find the way to negotiations.

The war has turned into a bloody trench warfare in which there are only losers. A large proportion of our citizens do not want a spiral of violence to end without end. Instead of the dominance of the military, we need the language of diplomacy and peace.

The policy of peace and detente, to which we owe German unity and the overcoming of the European division, is not outdated. We have championed their goals in the past and we continue to do so today. To paraphrase Willy Brandt: “You have to stand against the tide when it tries to dig the wrong bed again.”

With the concept of common security, the United Nations have shown the way to a peaceful world. It has its roots in the German policy of peace and detente. In this spirit came the Helsinki Final Act and the Paris Charter for a New Europe. We build on that. Peace can only be made on the basis of international law and only with Russia.

Our world is dependent on reciprocity, this is the only way to overcome the great challenges of our time. It is crucial to stop the escalation of the war. We encourage the Federal Chancellor, together with France, to persuade Brazil, China, India and Indonesia in particular to mediate in order to achieve a ceasefire quickly. That would be a necessary step to stop the killing and explore avenues for peace. Only then can the path to a common security order in Europe be paved.

Authors:

Prof. Dr. Peter Brandt, historian; Reiner Braun, International Peace Office; Reiner Hoffmann, former DGB chairman; Michael Müller, Federal Chairman of Naturefriends, Parl. State Secretary a. D.