Reflections on the debate on ammunition types

Author

Alfons Bech

Date
July 20, 2023

The first thing that comes to mind is that such a debate cannot divide us as a network. We are not military experts, nor can we take a purely technical position, but a political one. As in the case of NATO, we must find ways to act as united as possible and be effective in providing material and political assistance to the comrades, the people, the army and the government of Ukraine - in that order.

In Ukrainian society there seems to be no debate about its use. To take the debate beyond general terms (not to be in favour of such weapons, but not to campaign against their delivery and use by Ukraine) is not in our interest. We cannot get entangled in a debate in which the imperialists themselves are divided and which some use as blackmail.

I believe, on the contrary, that we should take advantage of the debate to turn the argument on its head: denounce the imperialists as a whole for not supplying the weapons Ukraine needs and not doing so in time... surely to reach an agreement with Putin or Moscow, without demanding the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and without sinking the regime. And there, in this denunciation, to show that we have a position independent of all imperialism.

Without going so far as to make it a "campaign", I believe that this political denunciation is necessary to show that the interest of the United States and European imperialisms is not in favour of the right to national self-determination but a bastard and selfish interest, at the expense of Ukraine. And this role can and must be played by the Western left within our societies. Politics is an effective way to help the Ukrainian resistance.

Finally, I believe that this is precisely the way we can approach and convince the sector of ngos and governments that have fought against this kind of ammunition. Also the pacifism that is against NATO and that is aware that US imperialism uses its aid to Ukraine to strengthen itself against Russia and China, but still hesitates to defend Ukraine. After our small victory in Vienna, the denunciation of imperialist hypocrisy gives us an opportunity to move forward.