We condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand unequivocally in this time of immediate crisis with the people of Ukraine and without reservation for their right to self-determination. The actions of the Russian military this week with attacks on over 20 cities inside Ukraine, including their capital city Kyiv, is an illegal invasion that will have catastrophic ramifications for the world in the years to come. The urgency of the moment and the emotions of the day will lead to calls for retaliation against Russia in the form of crippling economic sanctions. This escalation must be resisted as its impact will be felt most by the working class and on the most vulnerable in the society, leading to more nationalist support for stronger reactionary right-wing politics.
The inevitable attempts by the military-industrial complexes in Beijing, Brussels, Moscow, and Washington to take advantage of this crisis as a further justification for additional defense spending must also be rejected. The unhealthy competition of building stockpiles of weapons will increase the risk of direct confrontation between two nuclear powers and set up an arms race to sell additional weapons to competing states aligned with different imperialist powers. A windfall for defense contractors and more ammunition provided to fight proxy wars in the Middle East, Latin America, and elsewhere. The impact for those not directly experiencing the effects of war will not be small either, more spending on defense, unstable energy markets, inflation, and inflationary related price gouging by corporations eager to take advantage of the global insecurity. The pursuit of austerity policies as fiscally responsible and necessary will be the only acceptable position for politicians who are “serious and responsible”, causing insufficient and shrinking welfare states that fail to meet people’s basic needs to be scaled back even more.
The last three decades have seen U.S. imperialism dominate the world bringing disastrous outcomes for the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. After two lost wars and the embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer that saw the Taliban return to power, the imperialist aspirations of China and Russia have been emboldened. Now we must focus beyond a sole critique of U.S. imperialism to reject all other forms of imperialism that will be pursued in the coming years from the other major powers in the world. The days of the United States being the only major power capable of imperialism is over and the perspective from some on the Left to consider any enemy of the U.S. empire to be automatically worthy of our support must also end. Any further considerations for NATO expansion to include Ukraine or other countries should also be opposed as their contributions in the decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union and NATO’s counterpart the Warsaw Pact have only been to respond to problems created by their continued existence. The aggressive and shortsighted actions taken by Russia in Ukraine have only strengthened NATO’s position. A strong anti-war movement must adapt to these changes, continue to advocate strongly against the imperialist actions of the United States on every account, and also recognize the renewed threats that are China and Russia. It is Ukraine today and without resistance, it will be somewhere else tomorrow.
We know that there will be no simple answer or solution that ends the crisis in Ukraine. Much like the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, or the present wars that do not make the headlines in places like Syria and Yemen, the immediate need is humanitarian. In addition to our advocacy against any calls for escalation of the conflict, we must also support efforts to ensure that provisions for food and medicine are being made readily available to the people of Ukraine. Throughout any war, the need to provide safe and secure places for refugees to rebuild their lives is of paramount concern, all countries should welcome refugees without restriction. This war will only end with a large anti-war coalition that makes the cost of war higher for the ruling class than the price of peace. It will only be a short-term pause until the next conflict breaks out for war itself is a product of capitalism. The only real lasting solution to stop and end imperialist wars will come from mass struggle and protest fighting for international socialism. This is our major task moving forward, to build such a movement grounded on the principles of democracy, protection for oppressed peoples, and a world without arbitrary and inhumane borders.
In solidarity,
High Peaks DSA Executive Committee