Britain again first to further escalate war in Ukraine (II)

Eluding “Vassalization”

Following a possible change of government in London, the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the British Labour Party plan enhanced German-British military cooperation, including the sending of an aircraft carrier strike group to the Pacific.

LONDON/BERLIN (May 23) – The German Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the British Labour Party are launching an initiative to enhance German-British military and armament cooperation including the joint deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group to the Pacific. Last week, the SPD-affiliated Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) have presented a report outlining relevant recommendations. Not only should the two countries’ armed forces and arms industries significantly increase their cooperation, the foreign and defense ministers in Berlin and London should also intensively coordinate their policies. Foreign policy experts in Berlin are promoting such steps to elude the military and arms industry’s dependence on the USA, which had significantly increased since the beginning of the Ukraine war. John Healey, Shadow Defense Secretary of the Labour Party, which has good chances of winning next year’s elections, announced a UK-German military agreement within the first six months of a Labour Government. Nils Schmid, Spokesperson on Foreign Policy for the SPD Parliamentary Group agrees with the proposals.

June Update: Hunting for men in Ukraine, in the expectation of interminable EU candidacy

The catastrophe unfolding on the frontline in Ukraine and the stark realities behind the recently granted EU candidacy status | Dmitriy Kovalevich

topwar.ru

During June, Ukraine experienced the fourth month of the war, which has been marked by a sharp increase in the losses of Ukrainian military personnel. Estimates of the losses vary, but at the beginning of the month, President Zelensky said that 100 soldiers were being killed every day; while Mikhail Podolyak, the head of his Office, spoke of 200 being killed daily, and the head of the Zelensky ‘Servant of the people’ party faction, David Arakhamia, announced that about a thousand were killed and wounded daily.[1]

Ukraine, trapped in a spiral of war: Pierre de Gaulle

Napoleon silver Specimen Essai “Friendship” Medallic 2 Francs L’An IX (1801), by Tiolier.

The speech that follows was given by Pierre de Gaulle, the grandson of Charles de Gaulle, at the French Embassy in Paris, on June 14, 2022, to mark Russia Day. It is a speech that has been heavily censored in France, and we are happy to provide this English translation.

Mr. de Gaulle addresses the current Ukraine-Russia conflict by way of a blunt and brave denouncement of the French political elite who have succeeded in undermining the ideals of his grandfather who always sought the inclusion of Russia within Europe. The opening words of greetings Mr. de Gaulle made in Russian.

‘European Commonwealth’: Self-serving British proposal for another military bloc in Europe

NATO Madrid Summit and War Exercises in Asia Pacific | Hilary LeBlanc

May 21 demonstration at RAF Lakenheath, a US air force base, to protest against US nuclear weapons and nuclear bombers once again being brought to Britain.*

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to alleviate the post Brexit problems in which Britain is mired, is going all out to use the crisis in Ukraine to shore up British fortunes. Johnson proposed forming yet another military bloc which will reportedly include Ukraine, the UK, Poland, the Baltic States and possibly Turkey. The proposal, referred to as a “European Commonwealth,” was made during Johnson’s visit to Kiev in April, as “a new system of political, economic and military alliances — alternative to the European Union,” according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Eurocentrism and racist conceptions underpin NATO’s lies and disinformation

Syrian and Iraqi refugees crossing the Aegean Sea  in late 2015.

The conception of “the world” and the “international community” the U.S., Canada and the European Union espouse is not only self-serving, but exclusionary and racist to the core | MARGARET VILLAMIZAR

China bolsters global effort to combat coronavirus

International Cooperation to Help Countries Cope

Chinese and Cuban doctors arrive in Italy to help treat COVID-19 pandemic.

Assistance to Italy and Other EU Countries

On March 12, a group of nine Chinese aid professionals arrived in Rome with tons of medical supplies, including 700 ventilators, monitors and defibrillators, as part of China’s efforts to help Italy contain the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Cuba: European Parliament resolution contradicts spirit of dialogue and mutual respect

Cuban deputies to the National Assembly of People’s Power condemn the echoing of U.S. slander in a resolution that contradicts the spirit of respectful dialogue that has prevailed in relations between our country and the European Union

The International Relations Commission of the National Assembly of People’s Power has expressed its strongest rejection of the European Parliament’s Common Resolution (2019/2929 RSP), given its interventionist content and disrespect for Cuban sovereignty, with absolute ignorance of our reality.

A dysfunctional British parliamentary system

Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)

Protests against dysfunctional parliament, St George’s Hall, Liverpool, September 2, 2019 (Click to enlarge)

(September 13) – The decision of the Court of Session, Scotland’s Supreme Civil Court, that the prorogation of Parliament was unlawful, coming after the chaotic and farcical scenes in the House of Commons on September 9, underline how dysfunctional the parliamentary system has become. It marked the culmination of the spectacle of the old norms being torn up.

Brexit crisis deepens: The Queen’s active role in the right wing coup

The British people took to the streets of London to vent their anger at Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue the dysfunctional Westminster Parliament. The Queen’s assent was given on August 28 in a secret meeting held at Balmoral in Scotland with Jacob Rees-Mogg, Baroness Evans, the Leader of the Lords, and Mark Spencer, the Chief Whip. MPs have also reacted with indignation, comparing the move to a coup d’état. Only six Cabinet ministers, together with Johnson, according to the Telegraph, knew of the secret plans to suspend Parliament for a month, beginning in the second week of September. Thousands of people made their way to Parliament Square at short notice, advertising their efforts with the social media hash tag #StopTheCoup. In addition, a petition against Johnson’s plan had already exceeded 1.3 million signatures at the time of publication, as the public outrage rumbled on. A petition earlier this year demanding the British government reverse its course on Brexit received more than 4.5 million signatures in just three days.  It is not simply that it is rule by executive fiat, but that the chaos and illegal maneouvres are demonstrating that these political institutions are not consistent with the needs of the times. Two views.

War of sanctions against Iran (III)

German Foreign Policy

The escalation of the conflict over Iran hampers the German government’s efforts to pursue an independent global policy, even contrary to U.S. interests. Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement [that] he would impose punitive measures on all countries planning to purchase Iranian oil, Teheran responded by declaring it may begin to enrich uranium again, if the partners of the nuclear agreement continue to breach their commitments and refuse to allow Iran to sell its goods freely.

US threatens Iran with economic strangulation, aggression and war

Delegation of U.S. anti-war activists visiting Iran in March, shown here outside the Tehran Peace Museum.

On May 8, Iran announced that it would stop exporting excess uranium and heavy water, setting a 60-day deadline for the five remaining parties to the deal – France, the UK, Germany, China, and Russia – to take practical measures toward ensuring Iran’s interests in the face of the American sanctions.

Statements on US enactment of the Helms-Burton Act

On April 17, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the Trump Administration will end the suspension of Titles III and IV of the Helms-Burton Act. The implementation of the Helms-Burton Act is a further intensification of the all-sided economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba by the U.S. This action is not only an attack on the Cuban people but also a direct attack on the sovereignty and well-being of third countries including Canada. As such it is an additional serious violation of international law. Statements by Cuba, Global Affairs Canada, European Union, Ottawa Cuba Connections, Venezuela and Mexico on the aggressive measure against Cuba.

Brexit: The irrationality and state of denial of the Withdrawal Agreement shambles

With less than four weeks to go before Britain is due to leave the European Union at 11pm on Friday, March 29, the House of Commons is very little nearer to agreeing what the Withdrawal Agreement should be. The Deal agreed between the government negotiating team and the EU leaders, an agreement which has been endorsed by the other 27 EU member countries, has been rejected by MPs. Changes to the Deal have been ruled out by the EU negotiators. Theresa May has attempted to negotiate changes with them without success, while being unable to convince MPs to accept the Deal that has been negotiated.

Europe’s ‘geopolitical identity’

MUNICH Feb. 18 (german-foreign-policy.com) – At the Munich Security Conference last weekend, the power struggle between Berlin and Washington openly escalated to an unprecedented level. US Vice President Mike Pence reiterated his ultimatum that Berlin and the EU immediately renounce their political and economic projects, which are not fully in accord with US policy, pertaining particularly to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the Iran nuclear deal.

Four-phase Montevideo mechanism for peace and dialogue in Venezuela

Delegations of Mexico, Uruguay and CARICOM in Montevideo, February 6, 2019.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on February 6 gave “absolute support” to a four-phase plan designed by the countries of the Caribbean organized in CARICOM, along with Mexico and Uruguay, for Peace and Dialogue in Venezuela titled the Montevideo Mechanism. On February 7 a meeting was held in Montevideo co-hosted by Uruguay and the European Union and attended by representatives of eight European Union member states (France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) as well as Costa Rica, Bolivia and Ecuador, reported to be members of an EU-initiated International Contact Group (ICG) on Venezuela. The aim of the meeting was said to be to explore ways and means of fostering a negotiated, political settlement to the crisis in Venezuela without the use of force.

Five Eyes: The battle against Huawei

BERLIN/WASHINGTON/BEIJING (german-foreign-policy.com) – In the dispute over boycotting the Chinese Huawei corporation, the German government is considering joining a campaign of the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing network, it was reported in Canada and Australia. According to the media, intelligence chiefs of the five English-speaking “Five Eyes” countries launched a boycott campaign last July under US leadership.

An Army of the Europeans

Brussels, Belgium, July 7, 2018. Banner reads “Yes to Peace! No to NATO!”

german-foreign-policy.com

BERLIN (November 29) – The program of the Berlin Security Conference, which ended yesterday, included discussions on new steps toward creating an “army of the Europeans,” concerns over the possible erosion of the West’s “margin in defence capabilities” vis à vis Russia and China, as well as the role of artificial intelligence in future wars.

France: Working people protest against neo-liberal austerity agenda

By MICHAEL CHANT

 

(December 15) – Despite French Prime Minister Eduard Philippe’s declaration of a moratorium on the increase in energy taxes, “Act IV” of the mass demonstrations of the “Gilets Jaunes”, or Yellow Vests, went ahead on the December 8-9 weekend. In fact, even more demonstrators took to the streets in the face of the simultaneous unleashing of a militarised police force whose role was to quell and intimidate the people’s forces with brutality and terror. It is clear that the Yellow Vests were having none of it and the protests spread throughout France and into other countries as well.

An Army of the Europeans

BERLIN (german-foreign-policy.com) – The program of the Berlin Security Conference, which ended yesterday, included discussions on new steps toward creating an “army of the Europeans,” concerns over the possible erosion of the West’s “margin in defence capabilities” vis à vis Russia and China, as well as the role of artificial intelligence in future wars. Unlike the Munich Security Conference, this conference is not oriented on foreign policy but specifically on military policy and the arms industry, with more than a thousand military and business representatives, state officials, and politicians participating.

Cheap commemoration

BERLIN/ATHENS/WARSAW(November 11) – In reference to Greece and Poland’s new demands for reparations for Germany’s World War II mass crimes, the German government has reconfirmed its blockade on compensations. Berlin maintains that there are no legal grounds for Athens and Warsaw’s demands. No reparations will be paid.

17 years ‘War on Terror’

Seventeen years after the September 11 terror attacks, German government advisors are calling for a re-evaluation of the ongoing “War on Terror.”

Germany and the EU: Using hardship of the Syrian people as leverage

BERLIN/DAMASCUS (April 26) – Berlin and the EU are seeking to use Syria’s hardships for leverage to gain influence on that country’s political development. Berlin will provide humanitarian aid for the Syrian population, German Foreign Minster Heiko Maas announced at yesterday’s Syria conference in Brussels – aid that is also seen as helpful in preventing a new wave of mass migration to the EU. However, aid for the country’s reconstruction will only be granted, if Damascus makes political concessions, Maas declared.

New scramble for Africa: Spurious justifications of Britain, France and the EU for intervention in Africa

WORKERS’ WEEKLY 

Placard reads: “Loving Freedom, reduced to slavery. Europe is an accomplice to crimes.” Protest against slavery in Libya outside Libyan Embassy in Paris on November 24, 2017.

The annual Anglo-French summit meeting took place on January 18 with a high-level meeting at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst between Prime Minister Theresa May and President Macron. Although the summit’s agenda was presented as wide-ranging, it was evident that increasing military activity and what is referred to as security co-operation was at the heart of the meeting. What was particularly evident, was increasing intervention in the affairs of African countries by France and Britain both to prevent what is described as the threat of “Islamist-terrorism” in the Sahel and to establish the borders of the European Union (EU) firmly in that region allegedly to control the flow of migrants to Europe and prevent modern forms of slavery.

May 7 presidential election in France: Election further aggravates crisis of French nation-state

Demonstration in Paris says “NO!” to the state of emergency, January 30, 2016 | LDH

By CHRISTIAN LEGEAIS

The second and final round of France’s Presidential election takes place on Sunday, May 7. The official results published by the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic, following the first round held on April 23, determined that Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen received the most votes (24.01 per cent and 21.30 per cent, respectively) and will compete in the second round.[1]

Far from contributing to the resolution of the social, economic, cultural and political problems which plague French society, the election results will further aggravate the crisis in which the French nation-state is mired. In the first place, it is indisputable that the two contending candidates deprive the working class of its own voice in this election. On the elections themselves, there is nothing free or fair about them. They are being held under a government of police powers, in the conditions of a state of emergency which has become permanent after two years. The stated purpose of this état d’urgence is to “reclaim lawless areas” (“zones de non-droit”) — working class cities and suburbs — and to pacify resistance to the neo-liberal agenda. The Ministry of the Interior reinforced this state of emergency for the first round of voting. More than 50,000 police officers and gendarmes (including 12,000 for Paris alone) with 7,000 Sentinel Operation soldiers were mobilized to “secure” the 67,000 polling stations. This is one quarter of the total number of law enforcement personnel in France, and the same scenario will be repeated during the second round on May 7.

Germany and the militarization of West Africa

BERLIN/N’DJAMENA/BAMAKO (October 14) – Berlin is using today’s visit of Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, to enhance its rapidly growing military influence in West Africa. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s trip to Africa early this week has already revealed Germany’s growing military importance on the African continent. According to reports, a “change” can already be noted, particularly in Mali. Traditionally within France’s exclusive sphere of influence, the EU, “fundamentally under German leadership,” is now increasingly determining that country’s development. The German government is also expanding the Bundeswehr’s activities and the supply of military hardware to Niger and Chad, along with the construction of a military base in Niger’s capital Niamey. Berlin is also seeking to obtain influence in the war against Boko Haram in Nigeria. The first agreements on support measures had already been reached with Nigeria last year. Germany is enhancing its network of influence in West Africa by increasing the deployment of expeditionary troops, the establishment of military bases and by supplying military aid. This could possibly reduce France’s traditional political and military predominance in its former colonies.

Brexit: The European war union

THE EUROPEAN UNION OF THE MONOPOLIES

The Merchants of Death – lithograph by Mabel Dwight

German and French foreign ministers issue call for a “European Security Compact,” maintaining “employable high-readiness forces” and establishing “standing maritime forces.” Steinmeier and Ayrault write that to “plan and conduct civil and military operations more effectively,” the EU should institute a “permanent civil-military chain of command.” The creation of a “European FBI” is also on the agenda.

Germany’s response to Brexit: ‘Flexible union’ with a European FBI

german-foreign-policy.com BERLIN (June 27) –  Berlin is applying intense pressure in the aftermath of the Brexit, to reorganize the EU. Under the slogan, “flexible Union,” initial steps are being taken to establish a “core Europe.” This would mean an EU, led by a small, tight-knit core of countries, with the rest of the EU member countries being subordinated to second-class status.

Brexit vote: A call to chart a new path

Sober analysis from Workers’ Weekly*

May Day 2016

The people of England, Scotland, Wales and the north of Ireland voted on June 23 to leave the European Union rather than remain in the EU. The voting was Leave: 17,410,742 (51.9% of valid votes cast); Remain: 16,141,241(48.1% of valid votes cast), a majority of 1,269,501, with a turnout of 72.2% of the total electorate of 46,500,001. The number of rejected ballots was 25,359.[1]

‘Social Europe’ is anti-social

RMT ( Rail, Maritime & Transport ) trade union joins CGT & other European rail unions in protest demonstration in 2008 Paris against EU railways privatisation.

On the eve of the Brexit referendum, german-foreign-policy.com last week interviewed John Boyd on the European Union and the so-called Social Europe, which is especially promoted by the Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour Party. He also provides background information on the stands taken by the trade unions. John Boyd is Secretary of the Campaign against Euro-federalism (CAEF), an organisation oriented towards the labour movement and trade union movement, which has been calling for a withdrawal from the EU since it was founded in 1991.

Why the British said No to Europe

JOHN PILGER argues that the referendum result represents a deeper, more dynamic anger than the reasons rehearsed by politicians and the media and offers a glimpse of hope.

The majority vote by Britons to leave the European Union was an act of raw democracy. Millions of ordinary people refused to be bullied, intimidated and dismissed with open contempt by their presumed betters in the major parties, the leaders of the business and banking oligarchy and the media.