We are deeply concerned at the Russian displays of military aggression at the borders of Ukraine, accompanying Russian President Putin’s recognition of two autonomous eastern provinces of Ukraine as independent entities.

In his speech making this declaration, Putin clearly states that Ukraine’s independent existence was a result of Lenin’s policy of respecting the autonomy of various smaller and oppressed nationalities – a policy that rejected “Greater Russia” nationalism.  He even goes on to say that Ukraine came into existence as a result of the Bolshevik policy and can be called 'Vladimir Ilyich Lenin's Ukraine.' These words of Putin make it all too obvious that he is out to undo Lenin’s legacy and the presence of Russian troops on Ukraine borders is certainly not meant for “peacekeeping” as he would like the world to believe.

The current crisis should be settled peacefully through negotiation, on a basis which recognises the right of the Ukrainian people to self-determination. Towards immediate de-escalation of this conflict, Russia must withdraw troops from the Ukrainian borders. Russia and Ukraine should reach a diplomatic settlement of the tensions between them, on the basis of the Minsk-2 agreement already signed by both states.

We also condemn interference and warmongering by the US and NATO constituents on the pretext of Ukraine. We demand that the US withdraw the sanctions it has declared against Russia, and NATO must call a halt to its eastward expansion. Contrary to claims by the US and UK that NATO is a defensive alliance, its record in Afghanistan, Yugoslavia and Libya over the last generation, not to mention the US-British attack on Iraq, clearly demonstrate its imperialist objectives. We express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine against Russia’s threats of annexation and invasion. We also express solidarity for anti-war movements across Europe, including in Russia, and support all efforts to reach new arms control agreements in Europe and to move towards nuclear disarmament across the continent.

- Central Committee, CPIML Liberation