Russian And Ukrainian Voices Against Putin’s War

People And Nature ☭ This post was published this morning, on the Russian Socialist Movement’s Facebook feed.

For revolutionary defeatism

I hope that the armed forces of the Russian Federation are defeated in the war that has started. My hopes grow not out of hatred, but out of love. The Putin regime’s military victories will bring nothing to Russia’s citizens, except deaths of loved ones, the final collapse of the economy and the strengthening of the regime. These victories can produce only short-term euphoria, the narcotic effect of which just diverts attention from Russia’s endless problems and from the recognition of the need to solve them.

Every town that is seized, every village that is occupied – that is more people whose future will be stolen from them. Because for the Putin regime there is no room for the future, there is only the rotten present and the effort to drive us all back to the even more miserable past. This regime strains every muscle to turn the wheels of history backwards, to return the economy, culture and society back to a more primitive state. Defeat in war would give the people of Russia a future, open their eyes to the essential character of the Putin regime and give them the strength to struggle for democracy and social justice.

Danya P., activist of the Russian Socialist Movement.

Kyiv, this morning. Parts of what appears
to be a rocket in a residential area

These comments by Serhi Guz, a Ukrainian journalist and trade union activist based in Dnipropetrovsk region, were published on the Union News site this morning.

I am very sad at the moment. Sadly, the Russian people never got the chance to change their history and their place in history. Sadly, Putin’s ambition took the upper hand over common sense. It is sad that instead of friendship with Russia, we will have to go to war with them.

I am a very peaceful person, almost a pacifist in a sense. During all my journalistic career, I have always advocated defending human rights, defending the weaker, and even defending those Russians who have been held hostage by Putin. And now I am even more saddened that many good, talented Russians will find themselves defenceless in the face of the shaft of retaliatory sanctions the world community will heap on their shoulders. But there is nothing I can do for them now.

Serhii Guz

We have discussed the situation at home, and as one of the greats said, “we cannot choose when we die, but we can choose how we die”. I am sure that if we have to fight to the death, we will. The only pity is that now we have to spend all our energy and resources on opposing Putin and his aggression instead of reforming our economy, improving the social welfare of Ukrainians and other vital goals. But we have no other choice.

And it’s also nice to see that most Ukrainians around here don’t panic. It gives hope that Putin will not break us so easily, especially when we have such friends around us ready to help us.

This is a facebook post written today by Lena Samoilenko, who lives in Kyiv and is originally from Antratsit in Luhansk

For those Russians who pray for us:

In my family we believe only in the wonder of protest on the streets, on the barricades and on the cobblestones. We believe that even to go to prison is not to be feared, if somewhere someone is being killed at that moment. That nothing is to be feared, if someone can be saved that way.

Right now in battle around Schastye about 50 Russian soldiers have been killed.

If you do not want to go out and protest for us – protest for the sake of your own. At least, save somebody.

This photo, from Alexander Kubalov’s facebook feed on Monday, is of Kirill Medvedev protesting in front of the presidential administration in Moscow.

The sign says “No to the Kremlin’s war against Ukrainians and Russians”. Kirill was arrested more or less straight away (fairly typical, for people who demonstrate in Russia these days). Solidarity to Kirill and his friends, who are the conscience of humanity and the voice of internationalism. 24 February 2022.

Kirill Medvedev before his arrest

Update, 11.0am. This statement has just been issued by Sotsialnyi rukh (Social Movement) in Ukraine

Stop Putin's Aggression Immediately!

Ukraine was directly attacked by Russian imperialism. Vladimir Putin ordered to violate the borders of Ukraine and launch missile strikes on its biggest cities. 10 civilians in Odessa and Donbass were already killed. A civilian in central Ukraine (Uman, Cherkasy Oblast) was also killed in the shelling. Russian soldiers, aircrafts and armored vehicles attack Ukrainian forces in all border regions (Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Volyn regions). Their rockets reaching cities even in western Ukraine (Ivano-Frankivsk). However, the defenders of Ukraine are currently fiercely resisting the occupiers.

The reason for this military operation is Putin’s imperial ambitions. His government wants to subdue the Ukrainian people, who do not support an authoritarian dictatorship.

In connection with these extraordinary circumstances, the government should nationalize strategic enterprises, as well as seize the property of billionaires to ensure public access to medicine, transport, housing, food. That is why the policy of the state should be aimed at ensuring the interests of workers who are at the forefront.

We consider it necessary to participate in volunteer activities and organize mutual assistance on the basis of trade unions and other communities.

We Call on socialists around the world to go to the streets and demand an end to Russian aggression in Ukraine, imposing severe sanctions on the Russian economy (disconnect from SWIFT, seize oligarchs’ property), withdraw Russian troops and stop bombing cities, write off Ukraine’s foreign debt and to help Ukraine humanitarily.

It is time to fight together for independence, life and a free future! Solidarity will win!

More on the Russian war on Ukraine

■ ‘Militarism and nationalism are lethally dangerous drugs’, 29 December 2021

■ Putin’s little helpers undermine solidarity, 29 December 2021

■ Ukraine: ‘condemn Russia’s imperialist threat’, 24 January 2022

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