Prominent U.S. cultural and academic figures call on Congress to provide aid to Ukraine

More than 35 famous American artists, activists, scientists, including Barbra Streisand, Sean Penn, Timothy Snyder, have asked the US Congress to provide Ukraine with the funding it needs to win the war. This is reported by CNN.

The authors of the appeal noted that "Ukrainians are also fighting for the security of the United States and for the freedom of every person. By resisting Russian dictatorship, they show that democracy can defend itself. By defending their borders, they protect international order and contain chaos."

Prominent figures emphasised that "if Russia wins, it will be the fault of the United States. And then they will realise what they have lost. Everything Ukraine does for them can be reversed. If Ukraine is defeated, they will find themselves in a much more dangerous world."

Text of the appeal:

Together we call on Congress to do the right thing.

Ukrainians are fighting for their existence. In territory occupied by Russia, it tortures Ukrainian citizens, kidnaps Ukrainian children, and assassinates Ukrainian leaders. On territory Russia can reach with its weapons, it strikes civilians and rescue workers. Russian missiles, drones and bombs destroy churches and Holocaust memorials. Russian occupation threatens Ukraine's Muslims and Crimean Tatars.

Russian leaders openly declare that their goal is the destruction of the Ukrainian state and the elimination of Ukrainians as a people. Russian propagandists threaten genocide almost every day. Right now, Russia is using missiles and aerial bombs to destroy the ancient and beautiful city of Kharkiv, once home to 1.5 million people just as Russia destroyed Mariupol, Aleppo and Grozny.

Ukrainians are also fighting for our security and for the freedom of every human being. By resisting Russian dictatorship, they are showing that a democracy can defend itself. By defending their borders, they protect international order and contain chaos. By fighting Russia alone, they are defending Europe. By showing how difficult offensive operations are, the Ukrainians make war with China in the Pacific less likely. By fighting a conventional war against a nuclear power, they make nuclear proliferation and nuclear war less likely.

The Ukrainian military is protecting core American interests. They are doing what Americans cannot do on their own. By absorbing all Russian attack, they make other wars in Europe impossible. They are containing China without provoking Beijing in any way. By showing that nuclear power can be resisted, they are teaching other countries that they do not need to build nuclear weapons. For two years the Ukrainians have defended us as much as their own people.

Most Americans understand that and want to help Ukraine. So do most elected representatives.

But we are failing the Ukrainians. It's been more than 470 days since Congress passed legislation to support Ukraine. That's the most time since Russia invaded in February 2022. During our time of inaction, Russia has rebuilt its army. It is preparing a new offensive, testing Ukraine along the entire front and illegally using CS gas to knock Ukrainian soldiers out of the trenches.

If Russia breaks through, it will be our fault. And then we will realise what we have lost. Everything Ukraine does for us can be reversed. If Ukraine is defeated, we will find ourselves in a much more dangerous world. It will be a world in which we can expect war in Europe and war in Asia. A world in which Russia could cut off the food shipments to the Middle East and Africa that Ukraine is now making. A world without rules and a world full of nuclear weapons.

And then it will be too late to do what is now very simple: help an ally who is fighting for its life by passing legislation in Congress. Spend about a nickel out of the Department of Defence budget, about a penny out of the overall budget, most of which stays in the United States anyway.

We must not let our allies down. Everybody around the world is looking at the fact that Ukraine is an easy choice for us. It is a democracy, and we claim to support democracies. Its soldiers do for us what we cannot do ourselves. Ukraine is fighting its own battles and not asking for American troops. What America must do to support Ukraine is minimal. If we cannot honour our commitments to Ukraine, no one will believe we will support any of our allies in the future. It will weaken us and create a world of war.

And the Ukrainians are impressive allies. They are fighting well on a very long front. They have cleared the Black Sea of the Russian navy, which allows Ukrainian agriculture to feed the Middle East and Africa. They have developed and deployed their own weapons. They are doing their best and taking painful human casualties every day. But to keep fighting, they need things that only we can provide.

The Ukrainians are giving us a chance. A chance for Americans to do the right thing - for their sake, for our sake, for decency, for humanity. Ukraine can defend itself and bring stability to the world. If we allow Ukraine to lose, we will bring disaster upon it and upon ourselves.

Congress is back in session this week. Time is short, and new dangers can emerge very quickly. Together, we urge Congress to do the right thing - right now. Support Ukraine.

The appeal was signed by:

• J.J. Abrams, film director
• José Andrés, chef and activist
• Gabriel Carteris, actor and union leader
• Mona Charen, journalist
• Misha Collins, actor
• Rosario Dawson, actor
• Felicia Day, actor and writer
• Doug Phares, former national security adviser
• Jonathan Safran Foer, novelist
• Francis Fukuyama, political scientist
• Mark Hamill, actor
• Gale Anne Hurd, producer
• Dara Khosrowshahi, entrepreneur
• William Kristol, writer
• Eric Edelman, diplomat
• Imagine Dragons, musical group
• Scott Kelly, astronaut
• Daniel Lubecki, entrepreneur
• Michael McFaul, political scientist
• Kate McKinnon, actress
• Alyssa Milano, actress
• Viggo Mortensen, actor
• Patton Oswalt, comedian and actor
• Phillips O'Brien, military historian
• Brad Paisley, musician
• Sean Penn, actor
• Sergei Plokhy, historian
• Ivanna Sakhno, actress
• Eric Schmidt, philanthropist
• Liev Schreiber, actor
• Timothy Snyder, historian
• Terrell Germaine Starr, journalist
• Barbra Streisand, singer and actress
• Hilary Swank, actress
• Peter Wehner, writer and activist
• Katheryn Winnick, actress.