Some selected readings about Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine

Last updated (March 30, 2022)

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Below you will find:

Summary:

- Personal family narrative from the author discussing the history of the kokum scarf as a cultural creation that ties together the histories of her Slavic and Indigenous ancestry.
- Critiques superficial solidarities which only extend empathy through whiteness rather than to all those fleeing wars.
- Talks about the history of the International Women’s Day and its role in bringing down the Tsar and taking Russia out of the First World War in 1917. Emphasising the importance of feminist, anti-colonial anti-war movements.
- Drawing comparisons between how conspiracy theories about the origins of COVID-19 increased anti-Asian hate crimes and the blaming of all Russians for a war started by Putin is resulting in further social division and harassment against ordinary Russian people.

Richard Seymour
New Left Review: Sidecar
The Belligerati – on the “culture war” against Russia
https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/the-belligerati

Summary:

- Economic warfare, carried out through government sanctions and corporations banning Russian products and culture, mainly harms ordinary Russians and has minimal impact on Putin’s ability to wage war.
- Hero-worship of Zelensky undermines a meaningful analysis of the many problems Ukraine faces beyond Russia’s aggression
- NATO seems uninterested in a fully military backing of Ukraine but seems to be aiming at prolonging the conflict to bleed Russia’s economy. This strategy would be devastating for Ukraine.

Summary:

- Critical of western-leftist response that places the blame for the war primarily with NATO
- To cut through this, the article gives an in-depth analysis of the history of the last couple decades of Russia-NATO relations leading up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Is very detailed about the realities of Russian imperialism and NATO expansion.
- Ends with a list of calls for how labour movements can respond to the war, oppose Russia’s invasion, and show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Phil Hearse
Anti-Capitalist Resistance
NATO, Imperialism and the War
https://anticapitalistresistance.org/nato-imperialism-and-the-war/

Summary:

- Washington’s negative response to Poland’s offer to create a no-fly-zone signals that the U.S. does not want to risk a wider war with Russia
- Discusses how inter-imperialist wars can become intertwined with wars of national liberation and revolution, often suppressing, or co-opting genuine liberatory movements.
- Combined, Russia and Ukraine produce 30% of the world’s wheat and this war could lead to a skyrocketing of global prices in bread. This would have a particularly disastrous effect on the Middle East.
- U.S. campaigning for Germany and other EU countries to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas, partly in a bid for these countries to buy from the US instead.
- Importance of emphasizing a central demand of Russian troops out of Ukraine, followed by calls to dismantle NATO and disband nuclear weapons. Opposition to the war and support for Ukrainian refugees must be central to our work while remaining aware of the inter-imperialist conflict that this war is only one facet of.

Volodymyr Ishchenko
Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung
“Stopping the War is the Absolute Priority”
https://www.rosalux.de/en/news/id/46153

Summary:

- Interview emphasizing the necessity of ending the war as soon as possible. Argues that the US potentially has an interest in keeping the war going to hurt Russia’s economy and political standing.
- Explores the complicated relationship between Ukraine and NATO. On the one hand, membership in NATO and the EU was hinted at, yet no serious steps were taken to make this a reality, leaving many of the political elite in Ukraine in a position of relying on NATO for support against Russia while also being quite disappointed with NATO for never fully committing.
- Discusses potential outcomes and aftermaths of the war for both Russia and Ukraine. Also discusses how the debates amongst the left about how to understand the war are important but also possibly damaging both for bad analysis that ends up supporting Russia and overgeneralizations about leftist sentiments that have been expressed in moments of high emotions.