War is never good for working people, and never good for the environment. The war in Ukraine is no exception.
A number of socialists and socialist organisations have failed to see this war for what it is – an unprovoked invasion by Russia on Ukraine. It is clear that Putin and his government have precipitated this war. He is promoting a vision of restoring Russia’s imperialist past, fueling an ugly Russian nationalism.
The attempts by leftists and socialists to support Putin against US and Nato aggression, or at least to be deliver even-handed condemnation of both sides, is totally misguided.
Nato expansion
It is true that Nato expansion has helped fuel Russian nationalism. After the fall of the Soviet Union, there has been no justification for the continued existence of Nato. But now is not the best time to condemn the US and Nato. This is Putin’s war. The hundreds of thousands of people across the world protesting against against the invasion of Ukraine are not Nato stooges. Socialists dwelling on the sins of the US and Nato (terrible as they have been) are only giving socialism a bad name.
War is a terrible distraction from the world’s real crises – hunger, poverty and of course the looming climate crisis. The past week has seen the release of a dire report from the IPCC and the future impacts of climate change. This report has been almost totally lost amidst the ongoing focus on the invasion of Ukraine.
The proposed restrictions on imports of oil and gas from Russia into Europe have led to a huge increase in prices. Anticipated shortages of oil and gas are providing a justification for politicians and corporations wanting to invest in more fossil fuels. In Germany, where the end of coal is linked to a medium term increase in gas, we can expect that the war will boost or at least maintain coal production.
Of course, increased energy prices will also help the market for renewables, but this will take place over a longer period.
The world spends enormous amounts of money on arms, approximately $1900 billion per year. The war in Ukraine has prompted the German government to hugely increase its military budget. Instead of spending on weapons of death and destruction, we should be spending money on the climate crisis.
Military spending
The technical resources used to develop and manufacture weapons should be turned towards finding climate solutions. The global budget for climate research is very roughly $150 million per year. Compare this to the global arms budget of over $1900 billion.
The invasion is an unspeakable disaster for the people of Ukraine. And it is also polluting the water, soil and air – a disaster for the environment as well.
