Like the letter of April 16 [“More fuding for Ukraine not the answer”] about the war in Ukraine, I too think we must stop prolonging this conflict and carnage with more and more weapons, and urge Ukraine to negotiate a cease-fire and a political settlement to this conflict.

After so much death and destruction — an estimated half a million dead and wounded soldiers and millions of civilians displaced — it’s time to give peace a chance.

I’m concerned that if we keep arming Ukraine, it will lead not only to further loss of life, territory, and destruction of their country, but also risk a confrontation between the U.S./NATO and Russia.

With both superpowers armed with nuclear weapons, this is a frightening scenario. For the sake of Ukrainian and Russian children, and for the future of all children and the environmental survival of our planet, we must urge the Biden administration and our federal legislators to turn away from war and reach a diplomatic solution to this crisis.

Instead of sending $60 billion more of our tax dollars — on top of the $100 billion we’ve already spent in the past two years — for more war in Ukraine, we should be using it for critical economic, educational, and environmental needs at home.

Daniel Barker

Holyoke