A year into the US/NATO war in Ukraine

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A year after the war in Ukraine commenced, several democratic and anti-imperialist organizations criticized the US government and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for stoking the proxy war in Ukraine against Russia. On February 25, different organizations came together in a protest in Brussels, Belgium to commemorate the first anniversary of the war and demand its immediate end.

For the part of the Communist Party of the Philippines, it condemned the US’ nonstop pouring of weapons and military equipment in Ukraine. The Party said that the US/NATO continuously stoke and prolong its proxy war against imperialist rival Russia. Ending US and NATO intervention is key to end the war and resolve its roots across the negotiating table. It should recognize the aspirations of the Ukrainian people for peace, freedom and democracy, as well as the aspiration of the Russian-speaking population of the Donbass region for their right to secession and national self-determination.

The war has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands to 200,000 soldiers and civilians on all sides of the conflict. Attacks on civilian infrastructures have intensified. Millions of Ukrainians have been driven away from their homes and economically displaced.

Profiting from the people’s misery

While the broad masses of workers in Ukraine are suffering, monopoly capitalists continue to rake in profits. The US military industrial complex is one of the biggest profiteers in the prolonged war. The Biden government alone has poured $76.8 billion into Ukraine, 61% of which comprises of direct provision and grants and loans for weapons and military equipment. US/NATO allied countries such as Germany, France and the UK also profit from these.

Market speculation of large finance capitalists and monopoly companies push the prices of key commodities including oil and grain. Disruptions in fuel supplies to Europe caused by US sanctions against Russian natural gas caused widespread suffering to people during winter.

The US/NATO proxy war in Ukraine against Russia is an inter-imperialist war. It is a manifestation of the continuing crisis of the moribund monopoly capitalist system. Lenin pointed to the possibility of redividing the world among the imperialist powers as they seek to continuously expand its spheres of investments and hegemony. Among the strategic aims of the US is to take over Russia’s large European market of natural gas, as well as seize control of the rare earth mineral resources in the Donbass region.

The sharpening global crisis of capitalism, and, in particular, the prolonged stagnation and slide into economic recession of the US and other leading capitalist countries, intensify the push of the US to provoke wars against its imperialist rivals.

Even as the US pours billions of dollars into the war in Ukraine, it is busy increasing its military presence in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and other Asian countries, as part of its preparations of the theater of war against China.

The proletariat around the world must act vigorously and lead in building and strengthening international solidarity among all anti-imperialist organizations, movements and countries in order to mobilize the greatest numbers of people. They should demand an end to the US/NATO war in Ukraine against Russia, and to US imperialist war-mongering and war preparations elsewhere in the world.

A year into the US/NATO war in Ukraine