The United States is the leading provider of weapons to the world, and the practice of providing weapons to countries in crisis has proven disastrous, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. Expanding NATO to Russia's border and arming Russia's neighbors threatens something worse than disaster. The United States is toying with nuclear war.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt played significant roles in orchestrating the political crisis that led to a violent coup overthrowing Ukraine's elected President. Nuland not only exclaimed "Fuck the EU!" on that recorded phone call, but she also seemed to decide on the new prime minister: "Yats is the guy."

The Maidan protests were violently escalated by neo-Nazis and by snipers who opened fire on police. When Poland, Germany, and France negotiated a deal for the Maidan demands and an early election, neo-Nazis instead attacked the government and took over. The U.S. State Department immediately recognized the coup government, and Yatsenyuk was indeed installed as Prime Minister.

The people of Crimea voted overwhelmingly to secede, and that -- rather than the coup -- has been labeled "aggression." Ethnic Russians have been massacred by constant shelling from Kiev's U.S.-NATO backed Army, while Russia has been denounced for "aggression" in the form of various unsubstantiated accusations, including the downing of Flight 17.

It's important to recognize Western interests at work here other than peace and generosity. GMO outfits want the excellent farming soil in Ukraine. The U.S. and NATO want a "missile defense" base in Ukraine. Oil corporations want to drill for fracked gas in Ukraine. The U.S. and EU want to get their hands on Russia's "largest supply of natural gas" on the planet.

We routinely recognize the financial corruption of the U.S. government in domestic policy making. We shouldn't blind ourselves to it in matters of foreign policy. There may be a flag waving, but there is nuclear war looming, and that's a bit more important.

Initial signers (organizations for identification):

David Swanson, World Beyond War.

Bruce Gagnon, Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space.

Nick Mottern, KnowDrones.com.

Tarak Kauff, Veterans For Peace.

Carolyn McCrady, Peace and Justice Can Win.

Medea Benjamin, Code Pink.

Gareth Porter.

Malachy Kilbride, National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance.

Buzz Davis, WI Impeachment/Bring Our Troops Home Coalition.

Alice Slater, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

Doug Rawlings, Veterans For Peace.

Diane Turco, Cape Codders for Peace and Justice.

Rich Greve, Peace Action Staten Island.

Kevin Zeese, Popular Resistance.

Margaret Flowers, Popular Resistance.

Heinrich Buecker, Coop Anti-War Cafe Berlin.

Dud Hendrick.

Ellen Barfield, Veterans For Peace and War Resisters League.

Herbert Hoffman, Veterans For Peace.

Jean Athey, Peace Action Montgomery.

Kent Shifferd.

Matthew Hoh.

Bob Cushing, Pax Christi.

Bill Gilson, Veterans For Peace.

Michael Brenner, University of Pittsburgh.

Cindy Sheehan: Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox.

Jodie Evans, Code Pink.

Judith Deutsch.

Jim Haber.

Elliott Adams.

Joe Lombardo and Marilyn Levin, UNAC co-coordinators.

David Hartsough, World Beyond War.

Mairead Maguire, Nobel peace laureate, Co founder peace people.

Koohan Paik, International Forum on Globalization.

Ellen Judd, University of Manitoba.

Nicolas Davies.

Rosalie Tyler Paul, PeaceWorks, Brunswick Maine.