Joint Letter to Trump Offering Help on Arms Control from Ritter, Postol, McGovern, Kucinich
Aug. 24—On Aug. 22 Scott Ritter and three co-signers sent a letter to President Donald Trump, congratulating him on his “successful meeting” in Alaska, and setting “the stage for what could be a comprehensive resolution to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.” The letter ends with this statement:
“We stand ready to work with you and your administration to further the cause of peace, reduce the threat of war, and promote mutually beneficial relations between the American and Russian people. In particular, we are ready to help serve as a catalyst for promoting effective arms control, which would include not only seeking an extension to the New START Treaty (scheduled to expire on February 2026), but also prevent a new arms race involving intermediate- and short-range missiles that had been previously banned under the now defunct Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.”
The signers are:
Dennis Kucinich, former Congressman from Ohio, and former U.S. Presidential Candidate;
Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst of Russia, President’s Daily Brief Briefer; Theodore Postol, Professor, MIT, Arms Control Technology Expert;
Scott Ritter, Major, USMC (Ret.), Former Weapons Inspector/Disarmament Specialist
Ritter posted the letter along with his report-back article from his Aug. 9-18 trip to Russia. He was in Russia during the Alaska summit between Presidents Putin and Trump, where Ritter witnessed a genuine desire for peace and cooperation from a cross-section of the Russian people. Ritter praised the positive results from the summit and saw the potential for even greater relations in the future beyond simple conflict resolution.
The letter explains that Trump’s political opponents seek to exploit the ignorance of the American population by continuing the Russophobia narrative. However, Ritter writes, “The message for Russia is loud and clear: You do not stand alone in search for a comprehensive and just peace. Russia stands with you.”
Ritter, speaking for himself and his co-authors, continues, “We stand ready to work with you and your administration to further the cause of peace, reduce the threat of war, and promote mutually beneficial relations between the American and Russian people.”
Ritter has promoted what he calls “Citizen Diplomacy” where good citizens lead by example, rather than simply voting every four years. He is working to repair U.S.-Russian relations “one handshake at a time,” and believes that “America was best served by learning to live in peace with Russia.”