In a dramatic break with the Biden administration on the eve of the midterm elections, 30 House Democrats sent a letter to President Biden urging him to engage in direct talks with Russian President Vladmir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. In addition to bilateral talks, signatories to the letter, initiated by Progressive Congressional Caucus chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., urged the White House to support a mutual ceasefire and diplomatic efforts to avoid a protracted war that threatens more human suffering and spiraling global inflation, as well as nuclear war through intention or miscalculation.
Despite Biden’s recent acknowledgment that we have never been closer to nuclear Armageddon since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, Biden has not met with Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, and he recently told the press he will refuse to meet with Putin next month when the two attend the G20 summit in Bali
In addition to Jayapal, 29 Democratic members of Congress signed the letter, including such prominent progressives and liberals as Cori Bush of Missouri, André Carson of Indiana, Peter DeFazio of Oregon, Jesús “Chuy” García of Illinois, Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, Ro Khanna of California, Barbara Lee of California, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.