Ukrainian crisis turns NATO nations into natural customer of mass destruction weapons

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*
Amidst of all its failures, the troika of capitalism, reactionary nationalism and imperialism move together to continue its false relevance with the help of its traditional weapons of war and regional conflicts. It is a response to divert the radical agendas of rising movements against social and political movements against capitalism and imperialism.
It is within this context that one needs to reflect on imperialist imposed conflict between Ukraine and Russia. These two neighbouring countries have not only fought against oligarchy, feudalism, fascism and capitalism but also fought against imperialism. Their common battle led to the defeat of fascism and deepening of democracy in Europe. Both Ukrainians and Russians have sacrificed enormously to establish lasting peace in Europe.
These two countries share common history, culture and bound by family ties. The NATO led imperialist imposed conflict is destroying the common heritage, culture and history of peace and solidarity in the region. It is pushing entire Europe into war and turmoil. This is the best way to hide the irrelevance of NATO and endless failures of capitalism as a system.
The history of Ukraine has witnessed the end of Tsars, the Poles, Russian and the Austro-Hungarian empires. It will be no different. Once again Ukraine will be the burial ground for the NATO led European and Yankee imperialism and its relevance. From the crisis in Crimea, Odessa to Donbass today are products of NATO’s playbook to expand and bring back its fictional relevance.
The NATO’s east ward manoeuvres are part of this playbook which hides the failures of NATO to provide security needs of its member states. The admissions of Albania, Croatia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Montenegro and North Macedonia into the fold of the NATO are glaring examples of its cold war strategy.
Such an expansion of NATO has reached Russian boarders. Russian actions are a direct response to NATO’s imperialist actions. This NATO led conflicts are pushing the region and the world into a condition of war like situation and instability, where military industrial complex will make super profit at the cost of people and peace.
The NATO led wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya has nothing to do with defeating dictators and establishing democracy. These wars have nothing to do with defence and security of people. These are wars to create defence markets to sale huge amount of weapons in the name of regime change. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine helps such an agenda as well.

Andrew Cockburn in his book “The Spoils of War,” has outlined the way imperialist-capitalist alliance led by NATO seeks to ensure new market for Pentagon contractors like Lockheed Martin. As Cockburn reminds us that “By 2014, the 12 new members (of NATO) had purchased close to $17 billion worth of American weapons.”.

The NATO members are natural customers of weapons of mass destruction. Cockburn’s book further documents, NATO’s collective military spending “had hit $1.03 trillion, or roughly 20 times Russia’s military budget”. The citizens of NATO member states face austerity measures on welfare spending, suffer from ill health, unemployment, poverty and homelessness but the ruling elites design the war games to domesticate basic citizenship rights and undermine democracy and peace.
The reactionary ethnic and religious nationalism helps in this process of dismantling democracy and citizenship rights in the name of national unity and sovereignty. The Ukrainian and Russian conflicts move in this direction where people are ultimate losers and military corporates are the real winners.
Imperialist wars can never secure the unity, integrity and sovereignty of any country. It is peace, prosperity and solidarity that secures people, communities, nation states and planet. It is time to abandon all imperialist organisations like NATO and their military projects for a lasting world peace. Peace is the only alternative for the Ukrainians, Russians and everyone else in the world. Imperialist wars and conflicts are against people and our planet. There is no alternative to peace.
---
*University of Glasgow, UK

Comments

Land under siege: A silent crisis, desertification is threatening India’s future

By Raj Kumar Sinha* Desertification is emerging as one of the gravest environmental challenges of our time. Marked annually on June 17, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought reminds us that the fate of our planet’s land—and the billions who depend on it—is hanging in the balance.

Hyderabad protest demands end to Operation Kagar as senior Maoist leaders killed in encounter

By Harsh Thakor* A protest was held on June 17 at Indira Park in Hyderabad by the Shanti Charchala Committee, calling for an end to Operation Kagar and the start of peace talks with Maoist groups. The event brought together representatives from several political parties and civil society organizations. Among those who addressed the gathering were CPI (ML) New Democracy Central Committee member Vemulapalli Venkatramayya, along with leaders from the Congress, BRS, CPI, CPM, Telangana Janasamithi, MCPI, SUCI, CPI ML, RSP, and VCK. The programme also featured performances by cultural groups such as CLC, HRF, TVV, Arunodaya, Praja Kala Mandali, and Praja Natya Mandali. Public figures including actors Narayana Murthy and Tudundebba Upendar and academics like Professor Anver Khan and Professor Vinayaka Reddy participated as speakers.

Madhya Pradesh village's inspiring example of how small budget effort conserves water amidst heat wave

By Bharat Dogra Heat waves have been intensifying over vast areas of India in recent days and there are also many reports of water scarcity making the conditions worse for people. However the situation can differ significantly in various villages depending on whether or not significant water conservation efforts have been made. In recent years I have visited several villages of good water conservation efforts where I noticed that even at the time of adverse weather conditions, people of these villages as well as farm and other animals feel important relief in terms of access to adequate water. Due to water and moisture conservation, conditions of farms and pastures is also much better. What is more, with the participation and involvement of people, even quite low budgets have been utilized well to achieve very useful and durable results.

Central London discussion to spotlight LGBTQ+ ex-Muslim rights and persecution

By A Representative On June 13, 2025, the Dissident Club in Central London will host a public discussion to mark the 18th anniversary of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) and to commemorate World Refugee Day. The event, scheduled from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, will feature speakers Ali Malik, Maryam Namazie, and Taha Siddiqui, who are expected to address the intersecting challenges faced by LGBTQ+ ex-Muslims globally.

Population explosion: India needs a clear-headed policy, data-driven governance, long-term planning

By N.S. Venkataraman* At the upcoming G7 summit in Canada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited as a special guest, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau citing two main reasons: India’s rise as the world’s fifth-largest economy and its status as the most populous nation. While economic growth is undoubtedly a point of pride, the latter distinction—India’s population—raises an important question: should this be seen as a strength or a source of growing concern? India has not conducted a national census since 2011, leaving the current population figures largely speculative. Estimates place the population at around 1.4 billion, with projections reaching 1.8 billion by 2050. Despite modest declines in fertility and death rates, the annual population growth remains between 1.5% and 2%. The next census, scheduled for 2026, will provide a more accurate demographic picture, but until then, policymaking remains uninformed by crucial data. Over the past eleven years, the gov...

Victim to cricketing politics, Alvin Kalicharan was a most organized left handed batsman

By Harsh Thakor* On March 21st Alvin Kalicharan celebrates his 75th birthday. Sadly, his exploits have been forgotten or overlooked. Arguably no left handed batsman was technically sounder or more organized than this little man. Kalicharan was classed as a left-handed version of Rohan Kanhai. Possibly no left-handed batsmen to such a degree blend technical perfection with artistry and power.

Exploring 'Volokolamsk Highway': A tale of Soviet heroism and resilience

By Harsh Thakor* "Volokolamsk Highway" is a classical war novel by Alexander Bek, first published in Russian in 1944 and translated into English in 1958. Set during WWII on the Eastern Front, it describes critical battles fought by the Soviet Red Army against Nazi forces advancing toward Moscow in October 1941. Republished by Foreign Languages Press in 2023, the novel offers a vivid portrayal of Soviet soldiers' struggles to defeat fascism. It is recommended for those seeking insight into Soviet heroism during World War II.

Better halves lead the way as organic farmers, entrepreneurs and social reformers

By Bharat Dogra Two major challenges continue to limit the full participation of rural women in development. First, their crucial roles, potential, and capabilities often remain underrecognized. Second, even when women are encouraged to take on broader responsibilities, the overarching development models may not align with their needs or perspectives and may even appear counterproductive. Under such conditions, it is unrealistic to expect women to engage as enthusiastic and creative participants.

Irregularities in Modi-initiated NSDC raise questions about the future of Skill India

By Onkareshwar Pandey Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Skill India initiative was conceived as a bold national effort—to equip India’s vast young population with industry-ready skills and transform the country into the “skills capital of the world.” At the heart of this mission lies the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a public-private partnership under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). But recent revelations of large-scale financial irregularities within NSDC threaten to undermine not just the institution, but the very promise of Skill India.

Search This Blog