War in Ukraine: the victims are the peoples!

 

Article by Giorgos T. Georgiou, AKEL Political Bureau member and AKEL Limassol District Organisation Secretary

Saturday, 5 March 2022, ‘Haravgi’ newspaper

The interest of the Cypriot people and all peoples lies in waging their own struggles and not in choosing an imperialist camp. The slogan “Yes to Peace, No to War!” must resonate in the consciousness of the working people and the peoples of the world.

The events and developments in the ongoing war in Ukraine are both dramatic and tragic. Unfortunately, international diplomacy and common sense did not prevail. The Americans and NATO, the West as a whole, have long been lighting the fuse of war and promoting the further militarisation of Europe. They have instrumentalised Ukraine and its people seeking to impose their own new geostrategic plans and designs.

Russia is well aware that its decision to invade Ukraine will not only not solve problems, but will further exacerbate tensions in Europe.

It is clear that the attitude and behaviour of the Americans and NATO is criminal. Just as the blatant intervention in Yugoslavia in 1999 was criminal too when they struck at the very heart of Europe, Belgrade, destroying and ultimately breaking up Yugoslavia.

The Americans and NATO are both hypocrites and criminals, because they are responsible for hundreds of wars and interventions in every corner of the world. The current war is also reprehensible, but the moral perpetrators are the imperialists who are massacring the peoples seeking to serve their own strategic objectives and plans. Everything that is happening today is the result of the confrontations between the two warring camps, centred on the fight for spheres of influence, shares of the market, raw materials, energy projects and transport routes, as well as the pursuit for the maximization of the profits of the monopoly groups.

Where, for example, is the imposition of sanctions, measures and decisions by the European Union against Turkey in response to its aggression and violation of international law in Cyprus?

They have a shameful past and unfortunately a criminal present!

It is clear that the day after the war will find Europe and its peoples in an even more difficult position. More armaments, more crises, more NATO. Germany has already led the assault by announcing an order for 100 billion euros in military equipment. The Baltic, former Eastern countries will also become involved in an unprecedented war situation. At the same time, one wonders, what will the consequences for energy, gas, fuel and grain be?

The war in Ukraine will bring disaster to Europe and the peoples will be the victims who will be called upon to pay the bill. Europe is now entering a new period of cold war with disastrous consequences. More than 1/3 of the natural gas consumed in the EU comes from Russia. We will witness a price spike that will be unprecedented. What will happen to trade and tourism that, especially for Cyprus which is dependent on tourism from Russia, seems to be paying a heavy price?

There are difficult and grim days ahead for Europe, namely a humanitarian crisis, deaths, refugees, turmoil of the markets, soaring energy and food prices, coupled with a generalisation and deterioration of the economic crisis.

The American imperialists are investing in this war. The US military-industrial complex will maximise its huge profits even more on the backs of the peoples by announcing mammoth orders for arms and weapons. The same will happen when they will force the peoples of Europe to pay the price for fuel, gas and grain many times over from the US.

Europe is once again proving itself to be a political dwarf! It has completely subordinated itself to the geopolitical and geostrategic plans and objectives of the United States, without their leaders even having the slightest regard for the interests of their peoples. The ‘European vision’ has been forgotten, the European principles and values that should have in general govern the EU’s decisions are meaningless and have been shredded.

No political or military involvement whatsoever in the war! The fundamental problem, that is to say capitalist exploitation and inter-capitalist antagonisms, the reasons and causes generated by the ongoing imperialist wars, should be highlighted through the people’s struggles.