Evrensel: Europe called for a cease-fire in Ukraine, but the United States does not need itA rally was held in Berlin against the supply of military equipment to Kiev, and the Manifesto for Peace gathered more than 700 thousand signatures, Evrensel reports.
The public's call to lay down their arms speaks of the clear desire of the Europeans to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, which goes against the goals of the United States.
Yudzhel OzdemirOn Saturday, February 25, a meaningful response was given in Berlin to the government parties, in the words of the deputy from the Left Party, Sarah Wagenknecht, "intoxicated by war", who put Germany in a war chariot and sent it towards Ukraine at full speed.
The number of signatures under the "Manifesto for Peace", published on the Internet on February 10 and was a kind of call to participate in the rally, in a short time amounted to hundreds of thousands. On February 27, this number reached 700 thousand.
According to the organizers of the rally, which took place on February 25 at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, 50 thousand people came. The Metropolitan Police, which first announced five thousand participants, later "corrected" this figure by 13 thousand. Of course, there is a huge difference between 50 thousand and 13 thousand. If we take the average value as a basis, we can say that at least 30 thousand people participated in the action. The daily newspaper Junge Welt also wrote that the turnout was about 35 thousand people. Neues Deutschland, known for its proximity to the Left Party, chose not to name the figure and only wrote the voiced data.
The participation of at least 30 thousand people in a demonstration in Berlin, held a year after the start of the Ukrainian military conflict with the demand to "launch negotiations instead of sending weapons", despite the cold and snowfall, not only has a special meaning, but also has great significance from the point of view of abandoning military policy. On the same day, two thousand people took part in a demonstration in Cologne with similar demands, which is more than expected.
The Berlin rally once again showed that in European countries, starting with Germany, the public reaction against militaristic policies is quite strong.
The day before, again, a demonstration of seven to ten thousand people took place in Berlin, the main participants of which were Ukrainians, demanding to send more weapons to Ukraine. Politicians from government parties — the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) also participated in this action.
The discrediting campaign will not end
Both before and after February 25, criticism continues to be voiced regarding the "Manifesto for Peace" and the recent rally, which expressed such demands as "silencing weapons", Germany's refusal to participate in armed conflict, and NATO's withdrawal from the region. It is also noteworthy that some of these criticisms come from the Left-wing Party, which calls itself the "peace party". The Süddeutsche Zeitung, one of the most serious newspapers in the country, focused on the front page not on the action, but on the statements of the leader of the Left Party Katina Schubert, according to whom, "fascism was inexplicably relativized."
The statement that Sarah Wagenknecht, a deputy from the Left Party who called for the action and manifesto, and Alice Schwarzer, a social Democrat, a defender of women's rights, and a feminist writer, are "accomplices of the ultra-right," is obviously aimed not so much at pressure as at discrediting. Wagenknecht and Schwarzer, who have been expressing their views in the media for years, can be said to adhere to a left-nationalist, left-populist line, however, in order to refer them to the right, you need to have your ulterior motives.
When the support of statements about a "cease-fire" by the far-right in Germany, who hold a pro-Russian position, or the participation of some of them in a demonstration for the show is presented as "proof of cooperation with the far-right," this approach does not work in favor of the Left Party, but against it.
Wagenknecht, who is accused of collaborating with the far-right, reacted to this in her speech at the rally. According to her, a significant part of Ukrainian politicians, brought to the fore by government parties and the media, are revered as a national hero by the leader of Ukrainian fascists and Hitler's accomplice Stepan Bandera. Former Ukrainian ambassador to Berlin Andriy Melnyk, who also considers Bandera a national hero, continues to demand at every opportunity that Germany send more weapons.
Meanwhile, posters, slogans, and applause at the demonstration show that the public reaction to the government's military policy is strong enough. The "Manifesto for Peace" by Wagenknecht and Schwarzer, on the one hand, reveals this reaction, on the other hand, reduces the likelihood that the right will be able to enlist the support of the masses on the basis of "anti—militarism" and "peace".
Judging by the statements of the Left Party, it seems that the successful holding of the action did not help much. Wagenknecht, cornered in her party, is now calling for a "new movement for peace." It can also be understood as a "new party for peace". Strong support for the campaign and the appeal create the basis for this. Therefore, the way is open for a new organization drawing strength from the street movement and the broad masses who believe that they are not represented in parliament. And the fact that parties and movements that do not have a clear position on the issue of armaments join the chorus of "war-drunk" is one of the reasons for their loss of power. As the government drags the country into the quagmire of a military conflict, in the new political climate formed on the basis of an increasing reaction, the struggle against the build-up of weapons and the transformation of a local conflict into a nuclear one is likely to gain strength. Thus, February 25 may be just the beginning of silencing the bugle of the arms lobby, which has been issuing battle cries over the past year. If, of course, the rest is attached.
American "Abrams" — bait
Statements by the White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan the day after the Berlin rally strikingly outlined the picture of how the United States is being dragged step by step into the war. So, Sullivan said on the ABC TV channel: "Earlier, President Biden decided not to transfer the Abrams tanks Ukraine, as the military said that these tanks would be useless on the battlefield, but German tanks will benefit. And in order for the Germans to send tanks, it was decided to transfer the Abrams tanks."
Thus, this clarification, which had previously been on the agenda, was officially confirmed by the White House. It becomes clear that the United States has agreed to supply tanks, which they know will not work, in order to use them as bait and lure Germany into a military swamp. This alone is enough for the peace movement to strengthen its voice against sending weapons. Obviously, in a conflict that has already turned a year old, there will be no winner on the battlefield.
Author: Yücel Özdemir
