Our Statement On Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine

 25th March 2022

We’ve been horrified to witness Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine as it has unfolded.

People are dying, families have been torn apart, many more thousands of lives are at risk and millions have been displaced. It’s becoming the fastest-growing humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II.

And the political response to this crisis at home? Troubling.

The Conservatives and Labour have shown themselves to be two sides of the same coin, choosing to turn the patriotism dial up to 11, calling for dramatic increases to military budgets and the start of World War III (and ultimately nuclear armageddon).

The Conservative government’s links to Russia have been known for years, but practically ignored by the mainstream media. Millions have been donated by several oligarchs to fund their party, with almost £2 million given to the Tories since Boris Johnson became PM in 2019 alone.

Tory MPs also came out on national TV to praise the compassion of thousands of British people who signed up to house Ukrainian refugees fleeing war, while simultaneously voting through one of the most inhumane bills of all time, the Nationality and Borders Bill. A nasty piece of legislation, which has also been dubbed ‘the anti-refugee bill’, will criminalise refugees and send them offshore to be detained indefinitely.

And where’s the opposition? Labour refused to support waiving visas for refugees fleeing war zones. Keir Starmer has said his party would look into a dangerous ‘No Fly Zone’, and he has weaponised the crisis to continue waging his own war on the left by threatening to remove the whip from 11 socialist MPs who supported and signed a Stop The War statement.

While mainstream parties inflame tensions and continue to put ordinary people at risk, Breakthrough calls for peace, plurality and common sense.

Our statement below was discussed, written and voted through by Breakthrough members.

Breakthrough:

• Condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and calls for an immediate ceasefire.
• Rejects the possibility of NATO intervention and escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, and instead urges all sides to commence talks to find a just peace that offers long-term security to Ukrainians and Russians.
• Strongly condemns the killing of civilians by military personnel and the war crimes that have been committed and are still being committed. All people involved in crimes under international law must be held accountable.
• Denounces the use of weapons that indiscriminately target civilians, such as cluster bombs, chemical weapons and thermobaric weapons.
• Calls on the UK government to immediately scrap the Nationality & Borders Bill and provide safe routes for refugees fleeing conflict across the world, including from Ukraine, regardless of race and religion.
• Stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and Russia, who are the victims of military action that has been forced on them by an authoritarian government.
• Rejects economic sanctions that target ordinary Russians, and instead calls on governments to target sanctions at the economic, military and political elite in Russia that are responsible for this invasion.
• Calls on the UK government and the devolved administrations to take further action against the UK-based assets of those with close ties to the Putin regime.
• Supports the right of all people to self-determination and democratic government.
• Calls on the international community to provide humanitarian aid to the victims of war in Ukraine, and other ongoing conflicts around the world.
• Stands in solidarity with left-wing groups in Russia and Ukraine, including the Russian Socialist Movement and the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign, that are calling for an end to the invasion and the resumption of negotiations, as well as voices for peace all around the world.
• Condemns efforts by British media and politicians to discredit and intimidate those who stand up for peace.
• Commits to abolishing the Trident nuclear weapons system and support a global nuclear weapons ban.
• Denounces any far right or fascist group, which include but are not limited to, the Azov Battalion, the Right Sector, Task Force Rusich and Male State, seeking to take advantage of the war to provoke national and ethnic tensions. Breakthrough also condemns the arming of such groups by any government and does not believe that there is any reason, including military conflict, to cooperate with such groups.
• Condemns efforts by British media and politicians to discredit and intimidate those who stand up for peace.
• Rebukes western media’s double standards and racist bias in covering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent refugee crisis, compared with conflicts in Africa and the Middle East.