OKDE – SPARTAKOS: Statement on the War in Ukraine

War against the war of the capitalists- Anti-war and internationalist struggle of the workers

The transfer of military equipment to Ukraine by the Greek government is an aggressive move, which certifies and escalates Greece’s involvement in the war crisis. The Greek state, acting largely autonomously, without even complying with NATO contractual obligations, reaffirms its aspirations to play an active role in the developments. This move poses a danger to both abroad and at home, as it also involves the population of the country in a conflict with potentially incalculable consequences.

The Russian Federation’s military invasion of Ukraine is escalating the conflict between US-NATO and increasingly EU on the one hand and Russia on the other. The justification for the attack as a movement in support of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics or as a movement aimed at demilitarizing and denazifying Ukraine is indicative of the hypocrisy with which the imperialists are dressing up their wars. It’s reminiscent of Bush’s crusade to “liberate the planet” from Afghan terrorists or Iraqi chemical weapons arsenal, and Clinton’s former “interest” in oppressed Kosovars. Putin’s fiery anti-communist speech and his extreme nationalist rhetoric against the so-called constructed Ukrainian nation show the real content of the invasion. Moreover, the systematic subjugation of the People’s Republics and their transformation into a protectorate, with the extermination of the most plebeian and progressive elements of their leadership and the imposition of Great Russian chauvinism, show how much Putin is interested in the liberation of the people of Ukraine, Eastern and Western alike. Kyiv is added to the list of modern capital cities of martyrdom, after Belgrade, Kabul, Baghdad, Damascus and Sana’a. The images provoke anger and disgust, fear and insecurity in every rational and democratically thinking person. There can be no relativization in the condemnation of the invasion and in the demand that the Russian troops leave Ukraine now.

The global arsonists, the war hawks in Washington and Brussels, NATO and the EU are trying to exploit this disgust and horror. Their hypocritical sensitivity to maintaining peace cannot convince anyone. The Western imperialists do not care at all for the independence and prosperity of Ukraine and do not fight at all for the support of democracy against Russian despotism. Their purpose is to further advance NATO to the East, to encircle Russia militarily, and to cut off the latter’s economic influence in Europe. They politically support and militarily equip the Kiev regime, an extreme neoliberal regime, in constant alliance with far-right or even openly Nazi groups, which has imposed poverty on its citizens and extreme political silence on dissidents and has been constantly waging national purges and ethnic cleansing in the East.

One after another, the member states of NATO and the EU impose deadly economic sanctions on the population of the Russian Federation and send tons of military equipment to Ukraine. The EU Foreign Secretary made it clear that the “taboo” of the peaceful union was broken, which shows the readiness of Western imperialism to escalate its involvement.

There is no doubt that the invasion and war will only bring misery to the people of Ukraine. The Kiev regime will be strengthened, as the Ukrainian government can play the card of championing the country’s national sovereignty and defense. Donbass’s self-determination will be further undermined, as its populations will more easily be targeted as the long arm of Russian imperialism. The economic and administrative paralysis of the country will have devastating consequences on the living standards of the already suffering popular classes.

Disgust and horror, however, should not distract us from the main task of the working class and the people in our country. This task is not dictated by the distances you have to take from one or the other camp, which of these camps is stronger or who threw the first bullet. It is dictated by the unjust and reactionary nature of the war, which is done to defend interests that are completely alien to the working classes of the planet. Our only interest is to contribute to ending the war and the defeating the imperialist plans.

Greece is a member of NATO and the EU, with inconceivable amounts of spending on military equipment and with numerous military bases of NATO and the US on its territory. At the same time, it is seeking its economic and political expansion into the region, allying with the reactionary regimes of Israel and Egypt, in the quadrilateral axis, together with Cyprus, in order to impose the interests of the Greek ruling class, shipowners, construction companies and financial investors, in its reactionary conflict with Turkey.

The real internationalist task of the working class in the country is not limited to simply denouncing the reactionary nature of the war from both sides. Alongside the task of manifesting practical international solidarity, away from the diplomatic, that is, imperialist, plans of states, international organizations and governments, comes the task of blocking the economic, political, and even military aspirations of “our” bourgeoisie. This means that real service to the afflicted peoples of Ukraine can be offered by a movement that will cancel Greece’s involvement in the war, will fight to oust NATO and US bases, will demand that no soldiers go outside the borders.
The working class in every country must say a resounding NO to the war adventures of their bourgeoisie and their states. This means the development of an internationalist, class, anti-war movement, which without offsets will fight against the main enemy within each country. The “Proletarians of all countries unite” is necessarily connected with the “The main enemy is at homee”.

We demand:
– Imperialist armies out of Ukraine – No one dead for NATO-EU-Russia interests
– Self-determination of the people of Donbass
– Close Suda, Alexandroupolis and all NATO and US bases
– No involvement of Greece in the war – No soldiers or military equipment on an imperialist mission
– Greece out of NATO, dissolution of the military alliance
– Dissolution of the reactionary Greece-Cyprus-Israel-Egypt axis
– Open borders for all the refugees