I’m a US citizen serving a 60-day sentence in Bautzen Prison, Germany, for protesting to stop preparations for nuclear war at Büchel NATO base in Germany.
Today, Easter Sunday, I’m reflecting that nuclear weapons are an abomination to Nature, Humanity and all Creation! Nuclear weapons are a nightmare that only war makers, war profiteers and weapons makers want to live in.
Today, Easter Sunday, I am writing to German Chancellor Scholz, Foreign Minister Baerbock, and Defense Minister Pistorius for them to reflect on their responsibility to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and to ensure the prompt removal of B61 hydrogen bombs from Büchel NATO base and their return to the United States for dismantling and disposal.
I remind them that they are still obligated by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to negotiate “in good faith” the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
Last week friends from the Dresden Peace Initiative visited me before the Dresden Easter Peace Walk on Easter Monday. I will join them in a “Peace Walk behind bars”. Their “Call for Peace” reminds us of Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s oath during German reunification in 1990 that “Peace must always emanate from German soil in the future—Never again war, never again violence!”
The Dresden Easter Peace Walk is worried that Helmut Kohl’s oath is being broken. Today Germany is a leading supplier of weapons in the Ukraine war and the hub for coordinating arms shipments to Ukraine. The US military’s European Command is in Stuttgart and Stuttgart is the control center for AI targeting of hypersonic missiles. Germany recently increased military spending by 100 Billion Euro, and Germany is the fourth largest global arms dealer.
The Dresden Easter Peace Walk believes Germany’s foreign policy is based on the false perception that weapons create peace. The fact that German weapons are helping to prolong the Ukraine war—even risking nuclear war—is proof that weapons do not create peace!
On April 4 Finland joined NATO and US/NATO is pushing hard to bring Sweden in into its nuclear alliance. Enlarging NATO, claims NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, proves “The door to NATO remains firmly open.” Eurovision asked, “Ready for the next threat?” A likely next threat in Europe will be US machinations to fast-track Ukraine into NATO. This will be a very dangerous provocation!
The Dresden Easter Peace Walk demands a new peace policy in which Germany has a say in its own security and relations with its neighbors. But a common European security policy is not possible as long as US/NATO makes all the decisions. US/NATO’s disingenuous claim that it is a “defensive” military alliance must be debunked and delegitimized because US/NATO is a first use/first strike nuclear alliance. NATO must be abolished because it is US/NATO’s stated intention to bring Ukraine into its nuclear club. This is hugely dangerous for peace in Europe and must not be allowed to happen!
The Dresden Easter Peace Walk reflects growing dissatisfaction with German war policy, increased military spending, and deeper involvement in the Ukraine war. A common security arrangement proposed by people of the Dresden Peace Walk is an alternative to the geostrategy of US/NATO guaranteeing European safety under the US “nuclear umbrella”.
A common European security plan must necessarily include a European Nuclear Free Zone! This is in contrast to US/NATO’s aggressive nuclear ambition and increasing militarism along Russia’s western border.
This is also a compelling reason for Germany to lead a new European peace initiative, honoring Helmut Kohl’s oath—“Peace must always emanate from German soil—Never again war, never again violence!”