February 26 Saturday at 5:00-6:30pm Phil time

ZOOM https://bit.ly/3I8N2Kc 

Meeting ID: 899 1846 8053  Passcode: 041254

Online study session on 

Big Power Dynamics                                                                                        

US-Russia’s conflict over Ukraine: What is the real score? 

 

Online study session on 

Big Power Dynamics                                                                                        

US-Russia’s conflict over Ukraine: What is the real score? 

We should not lose track of the world situation even as more and more Filipinos are getting now into the election politics mood.  Beside the still occurring Covid-19 pandemic and economic crisis is the increasing tension between US versus Russia and China. We should be concerned not only because millions of Filipinos are spread all over the world including Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics of Ukraine and Russia but also because world peace and stability are at stake.

Since late last year, western media, especially big networks in US and UK, have been repeatedly airing alleged Russia’s plot to “invade Ukraine”.  Diplomatic moves are being overshadowed by war mongering particularly by the Biden government of the US, which became more and more frequent since the US debacle in Afghanistan last August. The exchange of words was harshest between top leaders of Russia and the US on Ukraine’s right to join NATO and Russia’s determination to defend its sovereignty.  No ministers’ meeting nor summit was able to solve the conflict.

 

Washington’s announcement of the imminence of war in Ukraine has been a major factor in the continuously increasing price of oil. And as oil price rises, so do the prices of other commodities.  US’s war warnings have been more frantic from late January this year. US’s and UK’s diplomatic personnel and all other US and UK citizens in Ukraine have been withdrawn and told to leave. US President’s has been saying recently that Russian “invasion is imminent” and could happen in a matter of days. 

 

The US state Department declared that it expected Russia’s invasion last February 16. But instead, Russia started to withdraw its armed forces that took part in a joint military exercise with Belarus recently.  The Ukraine government says it may reconsider its application for NATO membership. US President Biden, though, said does not think that the “planned invasion” has been thrown away or even set aside temporarily.  

 

We, Filipino activists won’t just standby and wait for developments without even making our own study based on data coming from all sides especially from independent sources and from the people of Ukraine and Russia. 

 

Thus, the anti-imperialist webinar series, initiated by Action for Sovereign Philippines, a continuing coordinative and cooperative effort of different anti-imperialist and democratic organizations, groups and individuals, is resuming with a forum on 

 

Big Power Dynamics:

US-Russia’s conflict over Ukraine: What is the real score? 

 

For this we invited a resource person from the International Peace Bureau (IPB) Berlin office, Reiner Braun (Executive Director), to enlighten us about the situation so we can deepen our understanding and strengthen our resolve to campaign against imperialist militarism and war.   

 

Reiner Braun is Executive Director of International Peace Bureau (a nobel Peace Laureate dedicated to the vision of a World Without War; the founder of the No to NATO Network, and is active with the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES) and the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA). He is also the author of several books, including “Einstein and Peace” and a biography about the Peace Nobel Laureate Joseph Rotblat.

 

Some questions that may be answered:   

 

1. Were the Russian troops really there for the military exercise with Belarus?  Aren’t the US and its NATO allies also conducting war exercises in Eastern Europe close to the border with Russia?

 

1. Does this mean that the “imminent attack” was a mere “creation” and not a product of their intelligence work as some critics say? Does this mean that the US was just creating panic to heighten Ukraine’s “insecurity” and establish a stronger basis for Ukraine’s entry to NATO?    

 

1. What would be possible human cost, conventional war, damage to nuclear power reactors, and escalation to nuclear weapons if diplomacy fails.

 

1. Why was joining the NATO enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine?  And why is Russia very much against this?  What interests are at stake?

 

1.  What are the prospects of averting this war or solving the conflict altogether?  What are the odds against the pursuit for peace?  (This may entail discussions on the rightists and nationalists, Ukraine’s “need” for Russia, other factors?)