Let's build an international movement against the imperialist war! No to the intervention of NATO, the USA and the EU! Russian troops out of Ukraine!

Declaration of the Tendency for a Revolutionary International (TRI), public tendency of the USFI

1°/ On February 24^th, 2022, the Russian army, on the orders of Vladimir Putin, crossed the Ukrainian border and launched a particularly brutal invasion of the country, with more than 100,000 men deployed. Particularly intensive bombing rained down on the country's main cities, Kiev and Kharkiev. Civilians are deliberately targeted, as shown by the missiles launched on Freedom Square and on the University of Kharkiev. At the time of writing, a convoy of armored vehicles about 60 kilometers long is heading for Kiev, with thermobaric weapons, weapons designed to cause maximum casualties among the civilian population. According to the information we have received, the Chechen troops of President Kadyrov, known for their brutality and their exactions against the civilian population, have joined the ranks of the Russian military.

2°/ All this confirms the totally imperialist character of this war. Putin has not hidden this fact: he is taking up the Great Russian nationalist discourse, according to which Ukraine historically belongs to the Russian Empire. In his February 21^st speech, one of Putin's main targets was the policy of the Bolsheviks at the time of the Russian Revolution. "Modern Ukraine was created entirely by Russia, specifically by Bolshevik and Communist Russia. This process began almost immediately after the 1917 revolution, and Lenin and his associates did it in a very rude way towards Russia itself - separating, tearing away part of its own historical territories." He blamed Lenin for "handing over" Donbass to Ukraine. With these attacks on the internationalist policy of the Bolsheviks, Putin clearly shows who he is and whom he represents: a representative of the new Russian bourgeoisie, born of the ruins of the Soviet Union, and with its roots in the tsarist feudal empire.

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Interview with Dmitry Kovalevich, from the Ukrainian communist organization "Borotba" (Struggle) to Panagiotis Tselepis, member of OKDE-Spartakos (held on 14 February 2022)

P.T. What is the reason for the current crisis in Ukraine? Does Putin want to invade? If he wanted that, why didn't he attempt to do it, when the Ukrainian army suffered a crushing defeat at the battle of Ilovaisk and considerable part of Ukrainian troops, including the notorious Nazis of "Azov" and Right Sector battalions, were encircled in August 2014? Contrary to taking advantage of that situation, Putin intervened to save Ukrainian troops and guarantee a safe passage.

D.K. I can’t know for sure their reasons and motivation. We can only guess. Some of our experts suppose that Ukraine favour war against Donbass. And Kiev began a build-up in that region – Ukraine’s troops there outnumber Russian troops along Ukraine’s border and some 70-80% of Ukraine’s troops are concentrated in Donbass, leaving almost the entire border with Russia and Belarus undefended.

In 2014 the coup known as “Euromaidan” took place during the Olympics in Russian Sochi. In February 2014 Ukrainian nationalists were in a hurry to complete it before the end of the Olympics, while the Russians were restricted to some measures to confront it. Now there are Winter Olympics in China, which is a close partner of Russia. West media claim that Russians should invade finally this week – before the end of Olympics – actually pushing Kiev to start a provocation before February 20^th.

Read more: Interview with Dmitry Kovalevich, from the Ukrainian communist organization "Borotba" (Struggle)...

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.

Read more: OKDE – SPARTAKOS: Statement on the War in Ukraine

A balance sheet and the perspective of the revolutionary left in Greece

 The following text contains parts of the document that was voted for in the last Conference of OKDE-Spartakos (October 2021) and was submitted as a report in the last meeting of the International Committee of the Fourth International (February 2022)  

Developments within the Left and the movement 

The situation of the anticapitalist left in Greece is characterized by the absence of a new political paradigm. Organizations that build themselves independently only exert very limited influence, given their small numbers. On the other hand, the dominant model of re-composition or front-like regroupment is in crisis. 

The collapse of Popular Unity (the largest left split of SYRIZA, in 2015) leaves absolutely nothing behind, apart from a few anticapitalist organizations that will still be around in the future, weaker rather than stronger out of this experience. The extremely delayed rupture with SYRIZA, more than half a year after SYRIZA had taken power, the striking programmatic contradictions (“left government” strategy, position about the EU, stance towards the institutions of the state etc), its conservative positions in various subjects, the dominance of a discredited and repelling leadership coming from the bureaucratic apparatus of Synaspismos (the reformist party leading SYRIZA) and having occupied high ranks in the first SYRIZA-ANEL government, as well as the extreme confusion in making a balance sheet of the experience within SYRIZA, deprived Popular Unity of the possibility to lead the current of left opposition to SYRIZA. Popular Unity represents the most impressive case of failure in the Left, disproving any argument or expectation of those currents who considered it a hopeful project.

Read more: A balance sheet and the perspective of the revolutionary left in Greece