The American Committee for U.S.-Russia Accord posted an open letter to President Joe Biden, which the Jan. 8 press release states was led by the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and Just Foreign Policy: “Mr. President, you face a profound and starkly consequential choice"—deepen negotiation efforts and avoid all provocative behavior. Their letter to Biden, entitled “Ahead of U.S.-Russia Talks, Coalition Urges Biden To Further Strengthen Diplomatic Efforts and Avert War,” was signed by a bipartisan coalition of 15 “U.S. foreign policy, veteran, religious, non-profit, and advocacy organizations.” The letter, with “carbon copies” to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and Sen. Charles Schumer, couched matters in terms of dealing with the Russian threat, but urged Biden forward in his modest attempts at diplomacy. (https://usrussiaaccord.org/ahead-of-us-russia-talks-coalition-urges-biden-to-further-strengthen-diplomatic-efforts-and-avert-war/)
“Continuing engagement is necessary to avert a military conflict that will harm the interests of the United States, harm innocent civilians in Ukraine, and risk spiraling into a potentially catastrophic war between the world’s two leading nuclear powers. We greatly appreciate your decision to respond to the substantial Russian military deployment near Ukraine by engaging in direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and arranging broader talks next week between Russia, the United States, and our NATO allies.”
However, they state their agreement with Blinken’s characterization of the Minsk accords, saying: “The United States should press both Ukraine and Russia to implement a workable version of the Minsk accords,” and “We share his view that the ‘most promising avenue for diplomacy is for Russia and Ukraine to return to dialogue in the context of the Minsk II agreements.’” They do state that “We also welcome your rejection of calls to station U.S. troops in or around Ukraine to protect against a potential Russian incursion, stating that such an effort is ‘not on the table.’ ”
