В мире
We need Peace now!
The World Veterans Federation (WVF) follows with great concern the military escalation in Ukraine in recent days. In view of 1000 days of the conflict in Ukraine, WVF believes that it is urgently necessary in the interests of the people in the conflict zone to agree a ceasefire and begin negotiations. We, the veterans, who works for veteran sisters, brothers and victims of wars do not want our challenges to become greater than we are able to hold on to. Therefore…we need peace now!
The telephone conversation between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Russian President a few days ago could be seen as an attempt to start a dialog, which is more necessary than ever.
Instead, US President Joe Biden, who is still in office, believes that Ukraine should be allowed to deploy weapons systems that effectively involve Western military personnel. The control of the American and British medium-range missiles, which reach far into the hinterland of the Russian Federation, is not possible without the logistical and technical support of NATO units. Russia sees this as a direct involvement of NATO in this conflict, which is to be answered militarily. The fact that the USA has also announced that it will supply anti-personnel mines, which are banned by the United Nations, makes it clear once again how little this military conflict is about the alleged “observance of international law”. Another “red line” has thus been crossed instead of opening the way for a ceasefire and negotiations. The consequences of this decision will not be borne by the vest, but by the people in the conflict regions and the Europeans, whose security is additionally threatened by this escalation.
As was made clear in the final declaration of the recent G20 summit, the majority of the countries involved, in particular from the Global South, there is a willingness not to allow any further escalation, but rather to promote a dialog to resolve the military conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and other parts of the world. These words must be followed by action as quickly as possible - in the interests of the people affected.
We should also mention that we are concerned to see how the military conflict is influencing domestic politics in both warring countries. An “open letter” from Ukrainian opposition who are campaigning for an end to the conflict, a just peace and democratic freedoms in Ukraine. They sent the letter to the Presidium of the Socialist International (SI) in October 2024. In it, they lamented the silence of the SI and its member parties on the persecution of the Ukrainian left-wing movement, its leaders and its members by the current Ukrainian authorities, which has now been going on for almost three years.
Literally, the letter states:
“Party offices of left-wing parties have been vandalized by nationalists and radicals. The left-wing parties of Ukraine, in particular the Union of Left Forces of Ukraine, were banned solely because they advocated peace, the immediate cessation of hostilities and the start of peace negotiations; because they declared that a nuclear catastrophe was imminent; Because they pointed directly to the beneficiaries of the war in Ukraine - the oligarchy and the military-industrial complex; Because they railed about corruption on a catastrophic scale, about the peak of neo-Nazism in the country, about the destruction of the national economy and the enrichment of oligarchs and officials close to the president; in general, about everything that the mass media in the service of the world oligarchy are also proclaiming today.
Numerous appeals to many left-wing parties in Europe ... have simply gone unanswered. ... The global goals declared at the recent Bureau meeting are good, but of course it is worth starting small: to learn to defend the left in other countries, to become tough and irreconcilable towards the enemies of socialism, to show ourselves as a reliable defender of the left movement worldwide. Only then can we move on to the main thesis of the Socialist International: to build a global coalition for global progress.
We remember that almost all left parties were persecuted in their own countries, their leaders and members were imprisoned or had to emigrate, some of them were destroyed by the ruling regimes. But in the end, they not only rose again, but became the victorious parties in many countries, the ruling parties. We also believe in such bright moments of the victory of modern socialism in Ukraine, and we are working for it - even if we live in exile and are persecuted.”
Please help us to support any action to get back peace in the conflict sone in Eastern Europe to save life and get less destroyed people.
After all…….do not forget that we all belong to the same race, the «human race».
Best regards,
Mr. Dan Viggo Bergtun
Honorary President of the WVF
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