Yorgos Mitralias
Who could have foreseen, on 24 or 25 February 2022, that one year later Ukrainians would be subjected to an avalanche of peace and ceasefire proposals from their enemies but also from their friends? The answer is not difficult: practically no one, because everyone, enemies but also friends, did not believe that one year later there would still be an independent country called Ukraine in a position to seriously negotiate anything with the all-powerful Russian Federation. In short, if there is talk of peace today, it is due to the heroic and totally "unforeseen" resistance of the Ukrainian people to the aggression of Great-Russian imperialism, which defeated the initial plans of both sides.
But the point is that these peace proposals are problematic. Coming from Ukraine's enemies, they are tantamount to a clear ultimatum: surrender immediately so that peace can be made today! Or this variant: surrender to stop the pointless massacre of Ukrainians... for which the Ukrainians are solely responsible. Pronounced almost day after day by Kremlin eminences such as Medvedev, Soloviev or even Putin himself, this ultimatum only illustrates the cynicism and arrogance of these sinister characters. But repeated by people who call themselves leftists, it only scandalises any normal person: How can it be possible that a peace proposal requires that one of the two parties involved voluntarily accepts its own demise? And also, how is it possible to accept not being adequately equipped to confront the "second largest military power" in the world?
But the hypocrisy of these so-called "pacifists" appears in all its macabre splendour when these leftists feel sorry for the tragic fate of the only Ukrainians allegedly "needlessly sacrificed" by their leaders, and say nothing about the slaughter of young Russians serving as cannon fodder for the master of the Kremlin. If they really wanted peace, they could very well start by asking Putin to stop sacrificing his compatriots in an imperialist war and not the Ukrainians who are only defending their most elementary right: the right to exist…
If these "peace proposals" from the enemies of the Ukrainians are pure propaganda for fools, the same cannot be said for the peace proposals from the Western friends (or so-called friends) of the Ukrainians. Preaching - in one way or another - the need "not to humiliate Putin", most of these peace proposals are conditioned by the need of the great Western powers not to cut off ties with Russia, its market and its raw materials. This is why the military aid offered by Western countries to Ukraine is imperceptibly reminiscent of that offered by the countries of "actually existing socialism" to Vietnam fighting against American aggression: enough not to be defeated but not enough to win...
Of course, the (unexpected) resistance of the Ukrainian people in arms has a great influence on Western Ukrainian policy, forcing them to moderate or even "forget" their pressure on Kiev for a while. However, this pressure periodically resurfaces, especially when the Ukrainians encounter difficulties with the Russian army. This is when they take the form of peace proposals (or plans) advising the Ukrainians to 'moderate' their ambitions (for example, by giving up Crimea to Russia) so as not to create too much difficulty for Putin and his power inside Russia.
The aim of such peace proposals is obvious: to soften Putin up in order to make him more "reasonable"! Unfortunately, this tactic has at least two major weaknesses, which ultimately make it ineffective. Firstly, it does not take into account the populations concerned (e.g. the Crimean Tatars) and does not give a damn about them, with the logical consequence that it meets with their refusal and resistance. And secondly, that it ignores the disasters to which such "appeasement policies" led in the 20th century to tyrants like Hitler or even to Putin himself in the much more recent past!
Inoperative for these reasons, these "peace plans" are also and above all immoral because they are paternalistic and imbued with the arrogance of the great power. By wanting to decide the fate of the Ukrainian people instead of them, they only confirm that with the exception of temporary agreements and alliances, the Ukrainian people can only count on their own forces. Exactly as they have done since the beginning of this war. And of course on the active internationalist solidarity of the oppressed and "those from below" in Russia and Belarus, in Europe and all over the world…
This article has been published in French in the 16th e-issue of Soutien à l'Ukraine résistante by Brigades Editoriales de Solidarité: https://www.syllepse.net/syllepse_images/solidarite---avec-lukraine-re--sistante--n-deg-16.pdf