Razem (Poland): Statement on the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation

First published on Razem.

One year ago today, the Russian Federation launched its criminal invasion of Ukraine. After the occupation of Crimea and Donbass, this was another act of aggression by Putin's far-right regime perpetrated against a sovereign state in the name of the regime’s  obsession with rebuilding the  former empire. The National Council of Razem once again condemns the Russian invasion, in particular the accompanying war crimes and crimes against humanity, executions, torture, the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure, the use of terror campaigns and blockades of ports and food exports. We condemn the attempts at neo-colonial erasure of Ukrainian identity through displacement of Ukrainian population, Russian settlements and the deprivation of nationality and forced adoption of Ukrainian children.

We also express our admiration  for the whole Ukrainian society for its resistance and steadfastness in the face of the aggressor. We call on Poland's international partners to increase economic, humanitarian and military support to end the Russian occupation. In particular, we call for the complete cancellation of Ukraine's foreign debt. The debt undermines the country's ability to fund its defence and day-to-day operations, and once the war is over, the necessity of repayments  will sabotage efforts to rebuild state and social infrastructures.

Special recognition is due to the Ukrainian labour movement, which has been  facing the aggressor simultaneously with  attacks on labour rights during the war. We express our support for their struggle waged against the path of extreme neoliberal reforms taken by Ukrainian authorities. We believe that when the time comes to rebuild Ukraine, it should be done in a spirit of solidarity and guarantees for  workers' rights rather than  serve the deepening of class differences and the enrichment of a handful of domestic or foreign oligarchs.

We appreciate the actions of those opposing the Russian and Belarusian autocracy, working in anti-war, anti-colonial, labour, women's rights and LGBTQ+ movements, among others. We call on the countries of the European Union to provide the necessary support to persecuted dissidents. At the same time, we express our disappointment at the insufficient sanctions imposed on Russia and its oligarchs and the lack of consequences drawn against those pursuing the Kremlin's political goals.

After the Russian aggression, Polish society rose to the occasion and helped those fleeing the horrors of war. Despite this positive momentum, the Polish government failed to provide adequate support for refugees and their integration in Poland for a year after the aggression. This takes away the sense of security of those who have found refuge in our country from Russian missiles and encourages a spiral of anti-Ukrainian sentiment by pro-Russian political forces.

The last year has clearly demonstrated the constant threat from states that violate international law with increasing boldness, as well as the need to build a new security architecture. We believe that the only way to ensure the stability and security of our region is to rely on the broadest possible defence, political and economic cooperation. Therefore, we fully support initiatives aiming at increasing integration, especially with regards to defence, within the European Union.

We wish the Ukrainian people a swift and victorious end to the war and a lasting, just peace.

Слава Україні!