According to Levada, one of the leading Russian polling companies, on February
24, 2022, at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 59% of thepopulation were in favor of intervention, 22% were against, and nearly 20% werenot. had a definite position. ---- However, with the passing of the weeks and theprolongation of what in Russia cannot be defined as "war" but only "specialoperation" (for which one can be sentenced from 3 to 15 years in prison), themoods, even of those who supported without hesitation the intervention, theybegan to change. ---- First of all, the images that - although not broadcast bymore or less state TV - come from the bombings and massacres of civiliansfiltered by social networks. These two peoples now enemies not only have commonethnic ties but have developed very close family relationships over the Sovietdecades.It is estimated that 14 million Ukrainians and Russians have family ties to eachother and 3 million Ukrainians work in Russia (as permanent or seasonal employees).Furthermore, the weight of the gigantic sanctions ("unprecedented" as thespokesman of Russian President Dmitry Peskov defined them) are of great concernto Russian citizens.The destructive effects of sanctions from an employment point of view are alreadya harsh reality. Since March 4th, the "S7" airline has canceled all internationalflights (even those in areas of the world where the skies remain open) and mostof the national ones and there is already talk of bankruptcy. "Aeroflot" - thestate-owned company - has seen most of its international routes canceled and willbe forced to reduce most of its flights also because it will no longer receiveBoeing spare parts right from the start. The low-cost "Pobeda", on the otherhand, is certainly doomed to bankruptcy as its entire fleet had been leased withan Irish finance company that has now decided to unilaterally terminate thecontracts. This is the loss of thousands of jobs that will also have an effect ontourism and related industries. The following week then came a real blow to theautomotive sector. The historic Wolkswagen factory closed its doors, leaving3,500 workers at home. The German Porsche has decided to close its Kaliningradfactory. Outside the Russian market there are also Nissan, BMW and Austin, allexpensive large-displacement cars much loved by the "new rich" Russians, whichhowever will cause a disaster for the workers who work in those companies. EvenAutovaz, the largest car factory in Togliatti (a city on the Volga named in honorof the PCI secretary), left its workers at home with a laconic statement until alater date. The historic Wolkswagen factory closed its doors, leaving 3,500workers at home. The German Porsche has decided to close its Kaliningrad factory.Outside the Russian market there are also Nissan, BMW and Austin, all expensivelarge-displacement cars much loved by the "new rich" Russians, which however willcause a disaster for the workers who work in those companies. Even Autovaz, thelargest car factory in Togliatti (a city on the Volga named in honor of the PCIsecretary), left its workers at home with a laconic statement until a later date.The historic Wolkswagen factory closed its doors, leaving 3,500 workers at home.The German Porsche has decided to close its Kaliningrad factory. Outside theRussian market there are also Nissan, BMW and Austin, all expensivelarge-displacement cars much loved by the "new rich" Russians, which however willcause a disaster for the workers who work in those companies. Even Autovaz, thelargest car factory in Togliatti (a city on the Volga named in honor of the PCIsecretary), left its workers at home with a laconic statement until a later date.all expensive large-displacement cars much loved by the "new rich" Russians,which however will determine a disaster for the workers who work in thosecompanies. Even Autovaz, the largest car factory in Togliatti (a city on theVolga named in honor of the PCI secretary), left its workers at home with alaconic statement until a later date. all expensive large-displacement cars muchloved by the "new rich" Russians, which however will determine a disaster for theworkers who work in those companies. Even Autovaz, the largest car factory inTogliatti (a city on the Volga named in honor of the PCI secretary), left itsworkers at home with a laconic statement until a later date.The American fast-food giant McDonald has decided to close the 850 restaurants inthe country and this will mean a loss of 15,000 jobs even if the mayor of MoscowSeregey Sabyanin has said he is ready to open about fifty fast-food restaurantswith Russian cuisine meals already in the coming weeks. Even Ikea has decided ina few days to sell off the furniture in its warehouses and to close all itsstores, leaving 1,300 workers at home.The ensuing devaluation of the ruble - almost 100% against the euro and thedollar in a few weeks - has significantly reduced the buying possibilities ofordinary people as Russia is an economy devoted to the import of finishedproducts. An example for all: Russia imports over 70% of medicines from the Westand even though Western manufacturers have informed that all essential medicinesincluding insulin will be guaranteed, prices are destined to skyrocket: a realdisaster given that they passed free of charge by the national health service.Street protests do not lose intensity either. Every day throughout Russia thereare mobilizations - especially young university students - to say resolutely noto war. To date, according to the Ovd-Info portal, 15,000 people have beenarrested since the beginning of the military operation. Many hundreds of womenand men who took to the streets are undergoing administrative trials andunfortunately a few dozen will have to undergo a criminal trial.Obviously in the front row in the initiatives the metropolises of Moscow and St.Petersburg but also in other 35 cities of Russia, large and small, European andSiberian, there were protests against the intervention in Ukraine. A wavedestined to increase when the increase in inflation becomes devastating and eventhe workers could get moving as has already happened in a factory in Nizhny Novgorod.The antagonistic left and the Russian libertarian movement are activelyparticipating in the demonstrations across the country. The historic "Avtonom"group, which is halfway between "classic" anarchism and the councilism of the newleft, argues in a leaflet distributed during the protests that we must "refuse tosubmit to Russian military censorship and support openly and clearly that this isa war. A war of invasionconducted by the Russian army. The Ukrainians aresuccessfully defending themselves with arms in hand against the occupiers, but wewho are now in Russia cannot stand aside. We have to show ourselves and the worldthat we are against this war, which only Putin and his gang need it. Beingagainst war is the real anti-fascism in this moment ". According to" Avtonom "theprotraction of the conflict shows that" theand Russian authorities are in a panicnow. They already understand that they are losing the war. And that is why theyhysterically threaten participants in anti-war actions with expulsion, dismissal,immediate dispatch to the army or jail. Don't be afraid of them. Ukrainians intheir cities are protesting the occupiers with their bare hands. Against soldierswith machine guns. Against the tanks " and demand" an immediate end to the war.We demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops fromUkraine. This is the main condition for any further action: Russian aggressionmust cease (...)But we must also fight for the future of Russia. The mad dictatordoes not have much time left: the small victorious war did not go according toplan and now it is only a matter of time and concrete means to eliminate him. Butwhat happens next, after Putin? The provinces that make up the "RussianFederation" are now at a historical crossroads. The collapse of the Putin regimecould trigger liberation processes. Undoubtedly, they will not immediately leadto an anarchist ideal - but at least Russia will stop being at war with the restof the world and its own people. However, another variant of "what happens afterPutin " is also possible: an even greater perpetuation of the authoritarianregime, a complete closure of all borders and a cessation of internationalcontacts ". In short, an even more open dictatorship than the one that theRussians already endure even if the libertarians of Avtonom" remain optimistic: "The winter is about to end. Spring is coming".For the anarcho-syndicalists of the "Kras" who immediately refused to be enlistedby the propaganda of Russia and NATO, mobilizing wherever possible, it is nowtime for an analysis of the underlying reasons for the conflict."First of all - argue the Russian anarcho-syndicalists - it is necessary tounderstand that there are different levels of conflict and different levels ofinter-capitalist contradictions. At the regional level, today's war is only acontinuation of the struggle between the dominant castes of the post-Sovietstates for the redivision of the post-Soviet space.Contrary to popular myth, the Soviet Union collapsed not as a result of thepeople's liberation movements, but as a result of the actions of a part of theruling nomenklatura, which divided territories and zones of influence amongthemselves, when the usual methods and established of their government were incrisis.The second level of conflict is the struggle for hegemony in the post-Sovietspace between the strongest state in the region, Russia, which claims to be aregional power and regards the entire post-Soviet space as an area of its own.hegemonic interests, and the states of the Western bloc (although here too theinterests and aspirations of the United States and individual European NATO andEU states may not be exactly the same). Both sides seek to establish theireconomic and political control over the countries of the former Soviet Union.Hence the clash between NATO's eastward expansion and Russia's desire to securethese countries under her influence. The third level of contradictions is of aneconomic-strategic nature. It is no coincidence that modern Russia is called "anappendage of oil and gas pipelines". Russia plays today on the world market,first of all, the role of supplier of energy resources, gas and oil ". For theKras, although it is necessary to fight against the "Putin war" it is notpossible to take a "defensive" position in favor of Ukraine, however, we wouldnot find ourselves in a situation similar to that of the Spanish civil war of1936-1939. "From our point of view, there is and cannot be a comparison with thesituation of the civil war in Spain. The Spanish anarchists supported a socialrevolution. Likewise, there is no comparison between, for example, the Makhnovistmovement in Ukraine and the defense of the modern Ukrainian state. Yes, Makhnofought against foreign invaders, Austro-Germans, and against the Ukrainiannationalists, and against the whites and, ultimately, against the Reds. But theMakhnovist partisans were fighting not for the political independence of Ukraine(to which, in fact, they were indifferent), but in defense of its revolutionarysocial conquests: for the land of the peasants and the workers' management ofindustry, for the soviets. free. In the current war, we are talking exclusivelyabout the clash between two states, two groups of capitalists, two nationalisms.for free soviets. In the current war, we are talking exclusively about the clashbetween two states, two groups of capitalists, two nationalisms. for freesoviets. In the current war, we are talking exclusively about the clash betweentwo states, two groups of capitalists, two nationalisms.It is not for anarchists to choose the "lesser evil" among themselves. We do notwant the victory of one or the other. All our sympathy goes to the common workerswho today are dying under grenades, missiles and bombs ".http://www.comunismolibertario.it/_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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