An analysis on Ukraine and NATO conflict with Russia
by Abbas Muntaqim, People’s Programs
amerikkka is the biggest threat to humanity and the planet. Through its evolution as a settler colonial regime that enslaved Afrikans and committed genocide against the Indigenous peoples and Afrikans, it has become an imperialist powerhouse, waging wars from Iraq, to Vietnam, to Korea, to Africa. There are no bounds to amerikkkan imperialism.
One might ask: Why am I starting an article that is about the Ukrainian (NATO) vs. Russian conflict with the united states? Well, that’s because, if you follow the money, if you follow the weapons, if you follow the puddles of blood – it all leads back to the imperialist united states regime and, by default, NATO.
And no, this isn’t framing Russia as a “leftist” or “anti-imperialist” nation. But we have to be truthful about the causes of this conflict. The western left cannot let its so-called anti-capitalist chauvinist criticism blind them to the root causes of this conflict and blame Russia, as that is pseudo-analysis, which by default, defends u.s. imperialism. As Pan-Afrikanists and Revolutionary Nationalists, we have the duty to tell the objective truths to the people.
To understand this conflict, I will start during the epoch post World War II. After World War II – which undoubtedly came to an end because of the military power of the Soviet Union – the west decided it needed to combat the Soviets, and this led the u.s. regime to create the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, otherwise known as NATO.
NATO’s goal was to not only combat the Soviets, but also to advance the international finance capital – imperialism – of the west. NATO is pan-European imperialism and protects the international financial interests of the west through war and colonization and neo-colonial rule.
NATO has been fighting wars and proxy wars – i.e., funding terrorist groups, mercenaries, to fight wars that benefit NATO’s interests – and has led clandestine operations against the Soviet Union in an attempt to remove Soviet influence as well as to eradicate communist or socialist revolutions.
Since the end of World War II, the united states has been involved in over 60 interventions, where it has utilized bombings, sabotage, outright war and regime changes. This also led to the Cold War – war without military battle – between NATO and the Soviets, which led to proxy wars, the nuclear arms race, the space race and more.
The Soviets supported liberation movements, such as giving material support to the people of Cuba and supporting Patrice Lumumba in the Democratic Republic of Congo, providing military advisors, munitions and other material aid. The Soviets also supported other liberation movements, which combatted NATO’s imperialist neo-colonial regimes of former colonies.
While the Soviets did support liberation movements, they made numerous mistakes, particularly in the Islamic world – whether it was supporting Saddam Hussein’s crimes against humanity in the invasion of Iran or the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was tragic and inhumane, and even former Soviet generals admitted it was a mistake. It also played a role in the downfall of the Soviet Union.
It must be made clear that this was nowhere in comparison to the role of the u.s. and NATO, as even the u.s. and NATO played a role in the Soviet-Afghan war, funneling weapons and billions in dollars to mujahideen in Afghanistan, adding fire to the flame. Which also gave rise to Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda.
Shortly after the Soviet-Afghan war, as a result of a variety of external and internal issues, a counterrevolution occurred, and on Dec. 26, 1991, the Soviet Union fell, and Russia was established. Other republics within the Soviet Union declared independence and formed their respective nations.
Ukraine, which was the second largest Soviet republic and Russia’s main trading partner, was one of them. This allowed NATO to gain more influence in the region and essentially be on the doorstep of Russia, as three former Soviet republics, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, all joined NATO.
Ukraine had a position of neutrality with the west and Russia. But the u.s. began funneling billions of dollars to CIA and u.s. fronts since 1991 to gain influence in Ukraine. In 2013, in Kiev’s Maidan Square, protests started.
There was opposition rising to the Yanukovych government, which had a neutral position towards Russia and the united states. There were negotiations ongoing, and a resolution was struck, but, on Feb. 2, 2014, fascist and neo-Nazi militias tried to kill Yanukovych and took over the Ukrainian government. This was a CIA-backed coup, and the u.s. began calling this Nazi-led coup the greatest day for democracy in Ukraine.
This would have devastating impacts on Russia, as now, Crimea, which was part of Ukraine dating back to the Soviet Union, was now under the control of the fascist Ukrainian regime. This could have given them control of the Black Sea Naval Base, which is Russia’s biggest naval installation and would have given it into the hands of the Ukrainian neo-Nazi regime.
Initially an all-volunteer unit, the far-right Azov regiment, comprised of professed neo-Nazis, was officially integrated into the National Guard of Ukraine in 2014 following their re-capturing of a critical port city from Russia-backed separatists.
NATO would have had nuclear weapons pointing at Russia, and it would serve as a potential base to start a NATO-led invasion from. Ukraine is the same region in which adolph hitler launched the invasion of the Soviet Union – and it is now in the hands of Ukrainian neo-Nazis.
Russia, as any nation defending itself would do, is stopping history from repeating itself. Russia did this by allowing a referendum to occur, and the people of Crimea voted to become a part of Russia, which stopped the base from being turned into a NATO invasion ground.
Not only that, but shortly after, the Ukrainian regime was shelling eastern Ukraine almost every day since the coup, also banning Russian as a language in an area that has historically been ethnically Russian. This was the start of the war on people in eastern Ukraine.
Yet, many people around the world were not aware of the shelling by the fascist Ukrainian regime. After years of shelling, Russia finally stepped in and recognized Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR). By doing this, they gave protection to the region from the fascist Ukrainian regime. NATO has literally been attempting to bring a wider conflict into the area.
NATO is using Ukraine as a puppet for its imperialist interests, which is to weaken Russia both militarily and economically through sanctions. For example: Russia recently completed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which connects Russia to Europe via Germany.
This would be a major asset to Russia’s economy and also give it more power in the international area. The u.s. couldn’t have it, so it needed to find a way to slow it down. By the u.s. bringing Russia into this conflict, they can slap sanctions on the pipeline, which Joe Biden recently did.
This now makes Europe dependent on the united states and its proxies rather than Russia. And it’s set to make the united states billions of dollars instead of the Russians. This is what u.s. imperialism is about: creating war, all to subjugate the world to its own economic and military interests.
It is safe to say that Russia is defending itself not only from a neo-Nazi regime in Ukraine, but also from western imperialism through the u.s. and NATO. Yet the western world is showing “outrage” at Russia, when the real outrage should be placed at the imperialist settler colonial regime of the united states of amerikkka.
amerikkka, like always since its inception, has blood on its hands. As revolutionaries, we are anti-imperialist, and we must call for the end of the u.s. and its imperialism as well as the neo-Nazi regime in Ukraine. They are the ones causing this conflict, and in order for the world to know peace, u.s. imperialism and NATO must come to an end.
It’s important that revolutionaries be very conscious of the amerikkkan propaganda machine and the misinformation that is being funneled by western media outlets. We can’t fall victim to viral videos spreading CIA misinformation.
This propaganda is designed for people to side with western imperialism – the same people making this propaganda are the same ones who profit from imperialist control. We must organize programs for decolonization and work to build autonomous institutions so we can effectively combat the u.s. regime and become our own liberators!
Abbas Muntaqim is a New Afrikan organizer and educator. He co-chairs People’s Programs, a New Afrikan Organization in Oakland, and is the co-host of Hella Black Podcast. Contact him at abbas@peoplesprograms.com and check out hellablackpod.com. To learn more about the Tribunal and why we still charge genocide, visit spiritofmandela.org.
Via SF Bay View