CPI(ML)-ND Statement

Oppose Russian Aggression against Ukraine!

Down with Imperialist Military Alliances including NATO!

Since US withdrawal from Afghanistan in defeat, contradictions among imperialist powers have intensified and Ukraine has become latest victim.

It is the second attempt by imperialist powers since Second World War to shape the global order especially in Europe, first being after dissolution of erstwhile Soviet Union when US led western powers moved to reshape the order in Europe declaring victory in the ‘Cold War’. Europe is again at the Centre of the present attempt at reshaping.

Russia has launched full scale invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea routes. Russian Air Force has launched attacks on all major urban centres and ground forces have entered from north, east and south at several points.

This war is essentially a fall out of sharpening conflicts among contending imperialist powers. US and Russia are giving excuses for their stance in this war. All talk of US about democracy and commitment to international law and treaties is bogus. US had supported, nay engineered overthrow of a democratically elected President of Ukraine in 2014, the beginning of the present crisis. US had encouraged, nay dictated to Ukraine to tear apart Minsk agreements. While they talk of ‘will of the people’ to join NATO they are opposed to any such will of the people in Latin America. All along US establishment’s aim has been to extend NATO closer to Russia. US establishment especially its military industrial complex has refused to draw any lessons from their fiasco in Iraq and Syria and utter defeat in Afghanistan. It is intent on fomenting war. Biden Administration has continued to pursue the strategy of multi-theatre war drafted at the peak of uni-polar world. They are unable to come to terms with multi-polar world.

Russian rulers have chosen to confront US and NATO led by them to increase area of their influence which had been systematically & considerably reduced since dissolution of Warsaw Pact and Soviet Union. Engaged in transition to ‘private’ capitalism i.e. loot and plunder of state properties, and for which they needed support of US led imperialist block, Russian rulers watched shrinking of their area of influence and expansion of US area of influence. With US getting bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan, and having consolidated their control over Russia, ruling elite of Russia sought to claw back their influence. First they went about it area by area with limited aims e.g. Georgia and after US defeat in Afghanistan for whole sale roll back of US influence in the region. As events of Kazakhstan showed Russia is re-emerging as ‘gendarme’ in vast Eurasia.

Ruling elite of Ukraine, capitalist oligarchs, emerged like in Russia from loot and plunder of state properties. They had a conflict based in continued dependence on Russia besides linguistic and cultural bonds, and need to enlist US and West Europe for increasing their wealth and contain Russian influence. Rather than pursuing the interests of people of Ukraine, they hobnobbed with big powers. Fed up with oligarch politicians, Ukrainians elected a comedian but times are too cruel.

With this all out attack on Ukraine Russia has proved that its talk of defending people of Donbas was just a stepping stone for their wider aim of controlling Ukraine. Russian President Putin who was earlier taking of ‘preventing genocide in eastern Ukraine’ has now launched a ‘special military operation’ to “demilitarize’ and ‘denazify’ Ukraine, the aims which mean controlling Ukraine.

One of main aims of Biden Admn. of USA is to reassert control over Western Europe where France and Germany were beginning to take an independent course. Biden’s slogan “US is Back” is targeted at that, and cancellation of Nord Stream 2 has been its focal point. In fact Russian Oil and Gas companies are contending with big oil companies of the west. US has from beginning made it clear that they are not going to send any combat troops, even ‘trainers’ in case of conflict and had withdrawn all their armed men from Ukraine.

Ukraine rulers have allowed their country to be a victim of intensifying contradictions of imperialist powers. US is trying to consolidate Western Europe and use Ukraine to rally support world over, while Russia is taking over Ukraine or at least substantial part of it, link areas controlled by it to area in neighbouring Moldova aligned with Russia.

While Biden and Putin both have domestic compulsions to divert attention of the people from their deteriorating conditions, the real content of the present dispute lies in increasing scramble among imperialist powers for greater share of world resources, areas of influence and markets.

It is the people of Ukraine who are real sufferers. Ukraine has long been a bone of contention among imperialist powers but has been ill served by its rulers. President Zelensky allowed his Govt. to be a tool of US’s European policy and made himself totally dependent on “Ukrainian Nationalists”. Against his election promise, he intensified attacks on Donbas regions, branded them as terrorists and refused to talk to them. Zelensky Govt. has been totally insensitive to problems of people, especially working class. People of Ukraine have every right to be independent and sovereign, a right threatened by big imperialist powers especially Russia, but present rulers do not represent this. Workers and people of Ukraine must step forward to not let their interests and aspirations be drowned by imperialist powers. They must step forward to peacefully resolve dispute in Eastern Ukraine in fraternal spirit.

Govt. of India has been caught in the bind due to this intensifying conflict between USA and Russia. Modi exhorted people of Uttar Pradesh to vote for his Party to strengthen a strong leader in view of situation in Ukraine without saying a word about what this strong leader would do. Ruling classes including ruling RSS-BJP have courted both USA and Russia to counter China. In fact their so-called independence stems from their courting different imperialist powers. But the present war is restricting scope for that. Indian Govt. has so far maintained ‘neutrality’, not criticized Russia in UNSC a stand being interpreted as favourable to Russia both by Russia as well as western powers. Ukraine Ambassador’s statement is also in same vein. Prime Minister of Pakistan is reaching ignoring opposition from US even after Russia attacked Ukraine.

CPI (ML)-New Democracy condemns Russian attack on Ukraine. We consider this war is born out of increasing conflict among imperialist powers and their seeking and consolidating areas of influence at the expense of the rights and national aspirations of the people of different countries. The present war has once again proved IMPERIALISM MEANS WAR. CPI(ML)-New Democracy calls upon the people of India to demand to end to attack on Ukraine and disbanding of NATO and other imperialist military alliances while immediately halting their expansion.

CPI(ML)-New Democracy calls upon people to intensify the struggle against imperialism and its reactionary allies. Confront imperialist war designs with people’s struggles for independence from imperialist dictates, liberation from oppression by imperialism and their allies, and strengthening revolutionary movement for their overthrow.

Central Committee
CPI(ML)-New Democracy