Contribution of the Communist Workers Party for Peace and Socialism Finland

The second year of the imperialist Russia-Ukraine War

It has been almost two full years since Russia started its full-on war to secure its interests in contested regions of eastern Ukraine, Donetsk, and Luhansk. Despite the initially mobile nature of the war, the situation quickly changed into grinding, attritional, and positional fighting. This kind of war is, by its very nature, very destructive to civilian infrastructure. Artillery and drones (and in Russia's case, air power) are used to hammer and soften every trench line, every foxhole, and every building used as a strongpoint by both sides. Results of this brutal application of force can be seen in cities such as Bakhmut, Mariupol, and most recently, Avdeevka.

Inevitably, structures and systems like district heating centers, water pumping stations, and electric switch yards get destroyed and disabled as forces taking position near or in these locations get hammered by heavy ordnance. This has widely led to a situation where entire cities and districts are left without heating, electricity, and water. Needless to say, this is life-threatening to civilian populations in densely populated residential districts typical in the area. Rugged Soviet-era apartment complexes also make defending these areas extremely easy, which leads to a vicious cycle of further destruction by long-range artillery and even missile strikes.

All of this has led to a massive refugee crisis in Ukraine, both inside the country and outside. According to UN statistics, some 6.3 million Ukrainians have been displaced by war globally and almost 15 million people need urgent humanitarian aid.

As communists, we condemn this imperialist war with the strongest possible terms. This conflict flies against all principles of genuine socialists and communists worldwide, including national self-determination. Many so-called "Marxists" have made the same basic mistake done by unprincipled social democrats a century ago, supporting "their" imperialists because they perceive them as a lesser evil or even as a genuine anti-imperialist force (Don't laugh!). Not only is this view objectively false, but it also misleads the movement in other issues. It ultimately leads to excusing imperialist wars and eventually, imperialist and capitalist apologia. We, just as Bolsheviks over a century ago, should take a principled stance against *all* imperialist wars, no matter who wages them.

We should also be aware that the EU and the United States also fully exploit this war to their benefit; comprador capitalists with the assistance of the Ukrainian government are having a fire sale of state-owned land, factories, and assets for private interests, they even have an entire website set for this. Investment companies and banks have greedily grabbed vast swathes of prime agricultural land and destroyed capital, ready to be exploited along with the impoverished local populace.

None of this serves the working class of Ukraine or Russia.

No to imperialist war in Ukraine!

Communist Workers' Party – For Peace and Socialism

International Affairs department