Socialist Party of America
Statement on Ukraine
Feb 26, 2022
The global fight against imperialism is manifesting physically in Ukraine. While NATO forces bend their own rules and sneak supplies to what remains of the Ukrainian forces, US Congress proposes sending $6.4 billion in weapons and other aid during a failed domestic pandemic response at home. Ukraine’s representative to the UN is asking for negotiations with Russia to discuss terms of surrender, proposing full neutrality for Ukraine, while US media reports imply that Ukraine is “winning.”
Russian forces began their operations after 8 years of inaction from so-called peacekeepers in response to Ukraine’s barbaric genocide in the sovereign territories of Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). This after an even longer period of illegal NATO expansion which began after the capitalist sabotage and dismantling of the Soviet Union and other independent socialist territories over 30 years ago.
Russian military action is not a new land grab or some sort of unhinged war of domination, as mainstream media portrays. Russia’s actions are an attempt to bring peace and stability to the region after decades of imperialist plunder. The delusional response of Ukraine’s puppet government is a betrayal of their people and has caused yet untold death and destruction.
While we are a newly refounded party without major influence in the world, we stand in solidarity with those who understand that the current situation in Ukraine is the result of decades of imperialist aggression and political incompetence on the parts of NATO and the UN. Russia and Ukraine have been forced into this situation by the powers of global capital who now pretend this is something they didn’t see coming.
American roads and bridges are crumbling and people are facing skyrocketing costs with totally stagnant income levels, all during a pandemic which has disrupted life and permanently damaged hope for the future. In the US media, military operations in Ukraine are being portrayed as entertainment, like a Marvel movie, rather than with the nuance and historical context needed. CNN runs Applebee’s commercials over footage of missiles and tanks while cutting to footage of Joe Biden acting as though he just stepped into politics, and hasn’t been involved in the buildup of this moment since the beginning.
The people of America need to be exposed to the smelling salts of reality: we have been lied to and treated as children for decades. What we are currently witnessing is what Karl Marx referred to as late-stage capitalism. As profits shrink, the frustration and desperate actions of the ruling elite become more apparent. The same Nazis we defeated in WW2 are now touted as our allies, while Russia, which made great sacrifices to stop the horrors of fascism, is portrayed as our enemy. We’re told that oil and fracked gas is “clean and natural,” while we’re made to fear nuclear power sources capable of providing endless low-cost zero-emission energy for the world. What we’re seeing is the mask being pulled off of imperialism as capitalism grows so unsustainable that it begins to consume itself.
Americans must treat this moment of clarity as a gift and work with the world to unseat those who have brought humanity to this desperate place. We must not squander this opportunity to be on the right side of history.
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