Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, the MFSO Board was asked to write a position statement. Since then, thousands of Ukrainian citizens have died and six million civilians have been forced to flee their homes. Thoughtful input from our members, a review of our mission statement along with recent developments have moved us to update our previous position statement. Please keep in mind that MFSO is not a pacifist organization and understand that the issue of self-defense can be complicated, but MFSO will continue to speak out against unjust wars where the US military is involved. Our opinions on the war in Ukraine should only reflect the possibility of the involvement of US troops. Therefore, we believe:
• There is no military solution to the war in Ukraine.
• We support any and all efforts to end the war in Ukraine through diplomatic means
• The US/NATO should not declare a “No Fly Zone”
• The US should continue to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine and support the current medical, nutritional, shelter and other needs of the Ukrainian people now.