The Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine is an act of imperialism

It must be condemned by the Left without equivocation

This is a guest post. It has been originally been written by Toivo Haimi for the Finnish left-wing magazine Kansan Uutiset, and translated by me.

Russia has invaded Ukraine. Europe is experiencing a crisis hitherto unforeseen since the Second World War.

The responsibility for this crisis lies solely with the Kremlin. Saying this is neither sabre-rattling or warmongering. It is a statement of a fact.

President Putin’s illegal territorial expansionism is, in a word, imperialism. Opposition to imperialism is at the very core of modern left-wing politics.

The political fracas related to Ukraine has been going on for years, both in Finland and internationally. The way many left-wingers have answered this conflict has been sadly a disappointment.

While condemning Russia's actions, many have felt the need to bring up unrelated actions of the United States in international politics.

Countless attempts have been made to “understand” Russia and to find justifications for its actions. Western leftists calling for “compromises” regarding Russia’s terroritorial expansion are ridiculous.

When Putin gave his infamous televised speech on Monday, February 21st, the first justifications he presented for his invasion of Ukraine were not related to NATO or whatever implicit threats on Russia’s security. Putin’s casus belli was stated clearly: Russia does not see Ukraine as a legitimate and sovereign country.

From a Finnish perspective, it is a good thing to seek good relations with Russia. Finland’s 1300 km border with Russia alone is a reason for this.

However, good relations are a two-way street. Putin's Russia must also seek good relations with the rest of Europe. That is the exact opposite of what Putin is doing at the moment.

Putin's Russia has no regard for international law and treaties. Russia has declared that its values are different from those of the West. Putin's ideas on democracy, minority rights and civil society are completely different from those in most of the rest of Europe.

'Good relations' can never mean submission to Russia's will or tacit acceptance of its aggressive and expansionist foreign policy.

The imperialist ambitions of all the great powers must be rejected outright. It is right to oppose wars and territorial conquests, wherever they may take place and whoever is behind them. In this particular crisis, however, it is Russia's actions that are being judged, not those of the United States.

It is true that the Ukrainian crisis is not a Manichean setup of good versus evil. Ukraine has enormous problems with corruption, anti-Semitism and a lack of true representatives democracy. These are facts, but they do not justify Russia’s assault on Ukraine.

It must be possible to call an injustice an injustice without being obliged to condemn all the other injustices in the world at the same time. There is never enough room for that in all the world’s newspapers.

Condemning Russia's actions does not mean acceptance of US world domination or the Western camp’s policy of force. It means solidarity with the Ukrainian people, who have been subjected to a ruthless and brutal attack.

It is absurd to simultaneously have American military campaigns vigorously opposed by the left and the workers' movement and Russian imperialism be understood, with “true” culprits found in the West. 

Socialism is not just knee-jerk anti-Americanism. It must be a consistent and principled effort to oppose imperialism. Imperialism is imperialism, whether it is done under the guise of a star-spangled banner or a double-headed eagle. Understanding this and saying it without equivocation is at the heart of modern democratic socialism.