Here in the United States, a group of 30 progressive U.S. congressmembers is calling on the White House to pursue direct negotiations with Russia. In a letter sent Monday to President Biden, the 30 lawmakers, led by Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, write, “we urge you to pair the military and economic support the United States has provided to Ukraine with a proactive diplomatic push, redoubling efforts to seek a realistic framework for a ceasefire.” The letter goes on to state, “The alternative to diplomacy is protracted war, with both its attendant certainties and catastrophic and unknowable risks.”