Unity of workers and people for social progress, democratic rights, respect of popular sovereignty and peace!
The war wind is blowing again in Europe. The war propaganda is intense. In Ukraine and around it continue to grow the largest concentration of armed forces since WWII. The situation of acute tension could escalate into a war outbreak which would expand in other countries.
The current conflict is inter-imperialist; this is its fundamental character and gives its mark to all the events occurring daily.
At the origin of the current conflict, there are inter-imperialist contradictions among US and Russia with China behind it; there is the intensification of the struggle for markets and economic and political spheres of influence, for the plundering of natural resources, control of energy resources, especially gas, and the export of capital, for a new division of the world. A struggle that intensified amidst economic crisis and pandemic that determined more division and instability in the international relationships.
The existing conflict did not come up suddenly. It has long been prepared for decades of war politics, NATO and EU expansion eastwards, sanctions and provocations, regime changes and local conflicts in Ukraine, arms race and missile deployment, aggressive nationalism and training of fascists militias and instrumentalization of the crisis of refugees.
The main advocates of war are United States. Their strategy is to maintain and reinforce their hegemonic position in the world. Consequently, their war policy is directed to:
– conquer the regions and countries that previously were under Russian influence and include them in NATO;
– encircle Russia militarily, weaken it economically to prevent it from participating as a powerful actor in the inter-imperialist struggle;
– increase the legitimacy of NATO and the bloc’s internal cohesion, disciplining the uncertain allies like German imperialism that has strong economic relations with Russia and China;
– inflict a blow on the trade and energy relations of the European countries with Russia (for instance, with the blocking of North Stream 2 gas pipelines), in order to weaken States and monopolies that need to modernize their industrial base;
– create the opportunity to sell gas, oil, weapons and combat aircraft to Ukraine and EU countries.
We should not forget that the main rival of US imperialism is Chinese social-imperialism. They cannot contain and confront China without the support of their imperialist “allied”. So they are seeking to create an atmosphere of cold war to reinforce their leadership in Europe.
The historical decline of US imperialism, its defeat in Afghanistan, the deceleration of its economy, the high debt and inflation, the loss of importance of dollar, the dramatic consequences of pandemic, racial tensions and loss of confidence of the people in its government are factors that induce US imperialism to focus on war to divert attention from domestic problems.
US imperialism is on the offensive, but Russia is not an “angel of peace”, is an aggressive imperialist power too. Capitalist contradictions are deepening in Russia and its ruling imperialist clique is looking for a salvation in militarism. Its interest in Ukraine is not that of free the people from the reactionary regime there, but of consolidating its position and save its sphere of influence in the region.
At the same time Russia is strengthening its relationship with China to confront their Western rivals. They are acting together in the economic, political, technological and military fields. The agreement signed by their giant monopolies for oil and gas supplies are a direct warning to EU countries that depend largely from Russian energy resources.
The US says it wants “to work” in unison with the EU, but it is obvious that there are contradictions between States members of EU and US. The bourgeoisie of different European countries does not want to be sacrificed in a US/NATO war against Russia. It is also clear that several EU/NATO vassal governments support the Biden-Blinken plan and send troops, tanks, war aircraft and ships in the area around Russia.
EU is part of the policy of war
In that context, some governments, political and social forces, present European Union as an entity that could act in favor of “peace in Europe”. In reality, EU in the military field is closely linked to NATO, as it is always stated in each Treaty – especially since the Summit of Lisbon, in 2011, which decided to develop the European defense policy, closely linked to NATO.
EU, as an imperialist construction, is participating to the policy of war, and a lot of States, members of EU have sent military forces in NATO’s deployment around Russia.
We must also denounce the increasing militarization of Northern Europe, where US imperialism is reinforcing its military presence openly “against Russian danger”. US imperialism is regrouping its military bases in Europe from the time of Cold War, now wanting to place military bases in Denmark and Norway.
We alert about the danger of the spreading of illusions on EU and denounce all attempts to create “national union” with the bourgeoisie. No trust in imperialist “pacifism” that paralyzes the masses and actually prepares the war. Only working class and laborer masses can stop the imperialist war, fighting resolutely the ruling classes.
Our tasks
We, as Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations of Europe denounce the imperialist nature of the war and reject warmongering politics of all the imperialist and capitalist forces involved.
We call the workers and peoples to stop war and the dangerous arms race, explaining that their main enemy is at home, in their own countries: it is the bourgeoisie!
For the working masses, young people, women, war means more and more cuts in social spending, a stronger pressure to increase exploitation and to reduce wages, the destruction of workers’ rights, as well as the construction of police States and an increased pressure to conscript young people into military services.
The struggle for the need of working class and popular masses is closely linked to the struggle against the war and militarism, for real democracy, for peace and for international solidarity.
We call the working class of all countries involved in the conflict to intensify unity of action against the bourgeoisie of their own country which does profit by selling arms and suppresses workers’ protests. Work, bread, social services, housing, not war!
We call to struggle against the reactionary, chauvinistic and fascist ideology and policy of hate and division between proletarians and oppressed peoples of different countries, developing proletarian solidarity and internationalism.
We denounce and condemn imperialist military alliances, like NATO and EU. Let us reject the policy of war in any form and pretext, to support “our” imperialism, or to follow one imperialist power against another.
No to credits and military expenses, money should be used for health, school and public transport, for a stable and safe work, to increase wages and reduce the high cost of living.
Immediate withdrawal of troops, weapons and military “advisors” sent to other countries. Down with the warmongering policymakers. Stop the international military maneuvers.
Out of warmongering and anti-democratic alliances such as NATO and the EU. No to NATO expansion but dissolution of this war and terror organization; closing of US bases in Europe!
Let’s develop the protest and struggles in the workplace, in mass associations, in the streets, everywhere. Let’s mobilize the working class and the broad masses in popular fronts against the warmongers, condemning the capitalist-imperialist system that brings to the workers and peoples only exploitation, poverty, disease, oppression and war.
A revolutionary way out from general crisis of capitalism is more and more necessary!
February 2022
Declaration of the European Meeting of the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations
Communist Party of Albania
Workers’ Communist Party – Denmark
Workers’ Communist Party of France
Organization for the Construction of the Communist Workers Party of Germany
Communist Platform – for the Communist Party of the Proletariat of Italy
Marxist-Leninist Organisation Revolusjon – Norway
Revolutionary Alliance of Labour of Serbia
Communist Party of Spain (Marxist-Leninist)
Labour Party (EMEP) – Turkey