With Crisis Escalating In Ukraine, Nuclear War Is On Everyone's Mind

If anything good can come out of the horrific war in Ukraine, it might be a renewed movement to abolish nuclear weapons once and for all.

Ukraine is on fire. Russia is using cluster and thermobaric bombs, targetting civilians, killing children in its invasion of the second largest country in Europe. Russian citizens are protesting the war, risking brutal treatment to hold signs and public space. Ukrainian citizens are resisting with creative nonviolent action, getting crash courses as field medics, joining militias and clearing rubble. What can we do?

We are emerging from our Wordle fugues to reframe Facebook and Instagram profile pictures with yellow and blue flags to signal our solidarity with the Ukrainian people. But can’t we do more? Throughout the United States, in communities with sizable Ukrainian American communities, we are gathering at churches in candle light vigils and prayer services. Those of us who can are raising money to help refugees and internally displaced people.

defense forces weapon. antiaircraft missles rockets with warhead aimed to the sky

So much about how this war is unfolding feels new and unprecedented — even if the story of aggression is as old as Cain and Abel and the list of recent nations bombed goes on and on, including Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Afganistan and Somalia.

One thing that’s decidedly not new, however, is nuclear weapons. They are so last century, but still big and dangerous — and the one thing the people of the United States can actually do something about. After all, we’ve done it before!