Ukraine

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is having profound repercussions for the international system and the global economy. In this conversation, Boris Kagarlitsky discusses the implications of the war on the Russian economy, its financial sector, and the Russian elite. Furthermore, he nalyzes the ongoing crisis of globalization, in particular Western sanctions, rising commodity prices, and the current role of China.

Catherine Samary - Ukrainian socialist NGO Sotsialny Rukh (SR - Social Movement), held a national conference in Kyiv. Far from a simple factual and make-shift report, the aim here is to shed light on the specific profile of this young left, based on how it operates at the heart of Ukrainian society and at odds with the dominant contradictory interpretations of the “Euro-Maidan” (2013-2014) which divide the left and are exploited by Putin.

Denish Pilash, activist and professor of political science in Kiev, recounts the attempt of the new Ukrainian left to emphasise social conflict in the context of resistance to Russian aggression

Sotsialnyi Rukh - The people of Ukraine have been facing hard challenges, yet they have proven their ability to fight for the right to decide on their own fate, and their determination to defend the country and to end the war as soon as possible. A party is needed to implement an alternative vision of Ukraine — democratic, social, and socialist.

Hanna Perekhoda - In order to understand Putin’s war against Ukraine and its people, one must take a close look at the place that Ukraine, its state, language, and culture occupy in the imperial and national imagination of Russians.

Simon Pirani - A look at the economic war being waged alongside the military conflict, the resulting disruption of energy markets, and their place in the broader social and ecological crises shaking capital.

Dave Holmes and Renfrey Clarke - The war in Ukraine is being used to massively intensify the West’s anti-Russia campaign. But the blowback from the sanctions regime is destabilising Western Europe and intensifying the suffering of developing countries.

Daria Saburova - While Russia's annexation of the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia should shed some light on what happened in 2014, some voices on the left are still accusing Ukraine of having provoked the current military escalation. This article looks back at the events of 2014-2022 to answer several questions that continue to tug at the heartstrings of the radical left and hinder its solidarity with the Ukrainian popular resistance.

Chris Slee - One of Russian President Vladimir Putin's pretexts for invading Ukraine has been his claim to be protecting Russian speakers in the eastern part of the country, which he is now trying to annex to Russia. It is therefore useful to look at the history of the conflict in that area.

Ashley Smith interviews Ilya Butraitskis - The Ukrainian resistance has scored major victories in its struggle to liberate its country from Russian occupation. Putin, facing defeats on the battleground, has issued draft orders for 300,000 people in Russia to shore up his military forces in Ukraine. He has also staged “sham” referendums in occupied Donbas as part of his drive to annex it to be part of Russia.

Peter Birke interviews Karmína collective - How have social-economic conditions in Ukraine developed since the 1990s? What role has the labor movement played? How and with what goals have labor struggles been wagered? And what is currently changing as a result of the war?