The Russian invasion of Ukraine will soon enter its fifth year. We pay tribute to the Ukrainians’ steadfast resistance and condemn in the strongest possible terms Putin’s expansionist war that killed five to six hundred thousand Ukrainian soldiers and fifty-five thousand civilians, including two Hongkongers who volunteered to fight.
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| Photo from HK Anti-War mobilisation facebook page |
The US is equally shameful, for its opportunistic attempt to exploit Ukraine’s natural resources, its exclusion of Ukraine from the negotiating table and capitulation to Russian demands. We also condemn European countries for continuing to import Russian natural gas, and criticise Russia’s allies for providing diplomatic, military and economic support.
While Ukraine was going through one of the coldest winters in recent years, Russia intensified its bombardment of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and civilian areas, leaving millions of Ukrainians with disrupted power, heat and water supply. Such targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure are war crimes.
We demand this unjust aggression to cease immediately, that Russia must be held accountable, and that Ukraine‘s post-war redevelopment must be supported unconditionally.
Fatigued. But Ukrainians fight, rather than give up territories
Ukrainians are exhausted after four years of resistance. An opinion poll has found that 72% of Ukrainians were prepared for a peace plan that freezes the current line of conflict, as long as there are security guarantees for Ukraine, and that Russian-occupied territories would not be recognised [internationally]. [Rather than] anything short of that, two-thirds of Ukrainians are prepared to endure war as long as necessary, and 75% of Ukrainians reject giving up more land in return for a ceasefire.
Our support for Ukrainians’ self-determination is unwavering. Ukrainians have the right to conduct armed resistance against the brutal invasion by their superpower neighbour. If the resistance continues, decent military compensation and welfare must be provided to soldiers and their families. If a peace deal is reached, it must not come at the price of Ukrainian sovereignty and wealth—that would just be pillage and plunder in a different form.
The burden of post-war reconstruction shall not be borne by the grassroots. Ukraine must resist further privatisation and austerity measures just to satisfy their international debt conditions.
Despite launching human wave tactics against Ukraine, Russia has been advancing more and more slowly. Ukrainian resistance has not only defended critical positions but also drained Russia’s national strength. With 14.5% inflation and a new high external debt since 2006, Russia was forced to start selling its gold reserves last year. Its population is declining due to conscription and emigration.
However, the US has been blaming Ukraine for being unwilling to negotiate for peace, while lapping up Russia’s ridiculous demands during peace talks. Under Trump’s 28-point deal, the size of Ukraine’s armed forces would be limited to 600,000, while critical industrial regions and fortifications, including the entire Donbas region, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson provinces, would be annexed by Russia – areas that Russia has never been able to seize since the war started in 2014.
In fact, the side blocking the path to peace is Russia. To maintain his dictatorship, Putin would by all possible means keep this war going. Not only does the current “peace deal” justify Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territories, it also fails to hold Russia accountable for their war crimes (kidnapping children and bombing civilian infrastructure). It cannot deter future Russian invasion.
With continuous support from allies, for example China, who increased Russian oil imports and provided crucial military technologies like chips, radar and drones since the outbreak of the invasion, Russia have been able to obtain important military resources despite western sanctions.
All nations must cease supporting Russia. We stand by Ukraine in rejecting an unfair ceasefire deal and in refusal to give in to a superpower.
While Ukrainians are united against an external threat, internal conflicts are yet to be resolved.
Grassroot servicemen and wartime labour are not honoured. [There is] nationwide protest against corrupt oligarchs.
The majority of the Ukraine Armed Forces come from the middle and the lower class. This is a result of government conscription in labour-intense regions, while the rich could bribe their way out of conscription or even the country. Soldiers currently receive a mere 600 US dollars basic salary a month.
With the government reducing public expenses and reforming the combat reward system, only those engaged in direct enemy contact are entitled to the full bonus. Adding to that is that many servicemen must buy their own equipment. Effectively, the soldiers have been dealt a pay cut.
At the same time, the Ukrainian government has started offering interest-free mortgages, free education and healthcare, and a high annual salary to volunteers aged 18 to 24. To senior volunteers who joined the resistance since the early stages of the war, this is no doubt a blow to their morale.
The government should tax the rich, nationalise key industries, confiscate oligarchs’ assets to improve all servicemen’s welfare, salary, their families’ livelihood and the quality of military equipment.
In the past four years, Russia has been bombarding civilian infrastructures. Frontline workers risk their lives daily to service maintenance. Since the start of the invasion, 2747 Ukrainian workers have been injured and 677 killed at work. Although legislation has been passed to provide relief to the injured workers, so-called “critical sector” company lists have been classified and compensation has been delayed or denied to the workers by the bureaucracy.
Last July, a nation-wide protest broke out in opposition to Zelensky’s decision to strip the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. Although Zelensky soon revoked the decision and removed Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of President, following a bribery scandal, corruption is still a serious problem in Ukraine, with energy and mining oligarchs embezzling public funds.
Since the dissolution of the USSR, political power and economic wealth has been dominated by oligarchs. Only by putting these resources under public scrutiny and planning the economy according to democratic principles, can Ukraine effectively direct national resources towards the resistance, attain social justice and protect public welfare.
Russian antiwar campaigns never ceased. Underground resistance sabotaged Russian railways
At the same time, despite Putin’s crackdown on anti-war protests, arresting over twenty thousand protesters, the anti-war sentiment remains strong.
Examples include: “Feminist Anti-War Resistance” and “Women in Black” flash mob protests, “The Ark”’s accommodation and psychological support to Russians in exile, “Stop the Wagons”’ sabotage of the Russian railway and “Solidarity Zone”’s financial and legal support to antiwar activists.
We must reiterate that anti-war activism is not a crime. Russia must release anti-war activists immediately and cease its crackdown on dissidents.
Support resistance for justice. Strongly against the US’s robbery deal
Based on justice and the welfare of Ukrainian people, we demand Russia to cease invasion, return occupied territories and compensate for the destruction it has caused. The international community must hold Putin and his ruling clique accountable, cancel Ukrainian debt and remove all collateral attachments, including privatisation and cutting of social welfare.
We do not accept any foreign attempts to extort benefit from interference in peace talks and the US’s attempt to steal Ukrainian rare-earth resources.
No peace, no justice!
Say No to Hegemonic Aggression! Russia Ceasefire Now! Withdraw Troops Now!
Support Ukrainian Resistance! Cancel all Ukrainian debt!
Confiscate Russian and Oligarchs’ Assets and Use Them for Ukraine’s Reconstruction!
Anti War Is Not A Crime! Release all Activists!
Occupation
Is No Peace
Occupation Is A Crime
Make Fascists Afraid Again
Ukraine Is Not For Sale
☭ I have only just come across this statement, which is now a few months old. It’s well worth circulating, to highlight the way that these brave people are speaking out against Russian aggression - SP.
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