Russia/Ukraine War, CARICOM has a duty, it must be fulfilled

Jan 28, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

On June 22, 1941 when Hitler Nazi hordes attacked the Soviet Union it did so with all the power of Europe at its disposal. Hitler had already conquered the whole of Western Europe, Italy excluded, but it was an ally of Hitler) and was using its industries and men to attack Russia. That was a brutal war. However, Russia managed to push Hitler’s hordes out of its territory and proceeded to liberate Europe, including Germany and France. It cost them between twenty to thirty million Soviets, mainly Russian lives.

Today, history seems to be repeating itself. Russia is once again in the grips of war, this time it is not confronting only Europe, but the United States, the UK and Canada. The consequences of this war can be more devastating than what took place 82 years ago.Indeed, this war is putting the whole world in grave danger. This is because the forces that are arraigned against Russia include three nuclear powers, the US, UK, and France. And Russia too has a sizable stockpile of these weapons of mass liquidation.

The West’s military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) deliberately provoked this war by threatening to expand NATO on Russia’s border with Ukraine. This means that they would station their military bases with nuclear weapons right on Russia’s doorstep.This they did after the last Soviet/Russian leader Gorbachev, was given the assurance that if Russia withdrew its troops that were stationed in Eastern Europe, NATO would not move troops one inch further towards Russia. This has turned out to be a massive fraud. We also know now, first hand, that all the negotiations which the US and its allies were conducting with Russia were merely to give themselves time to prepare for a full scale war with Russia.

That revelation came most recently, from Angela Merkel, former Chancellor of Germany, and the former President of France Holland, who revealed that they signed an agreement with Russia, but had no intention of honoring any. Their real intention was to prepare Ukraine to wage a war against Russia. That agreement, known as the Minsk’s Agreement, was to give the areas where Russian people were predominant in Ukraine some degree of autonomy. Those parts would have remained as part of Ukraine.The main purpose of the West was to gain time to arm and prepare Ukraine to wage war with Russia. In the meantime, they remained quiet as Ukrainian military kept bombing the Russian people in Donetsk and Luhansk killing thousands of civilians.

Having fooled Russia with signing accords they never intended to uphold, having refused to say that they would not grant Ukraine NATO’s membership, thereby making her a neutral company, they practically forced Russia to launch a military mission to improve its own security and to defend the Russian people living in Eastern Ukraine.Now that Russia has managed to almost defeat the fascist forces in Ukraine, the United States, Canada, and Europe are pouring more weapons into Ukraine. They also have sizable mercenary forces in Ukraine, as they now openly say that the defeat of Russia is their main goal.

The only voice calling for peace is that of the Pope. The NATO leaders are ignoring him.What is of great concern is not only the needless loss of lives, Russian and Ukrainian lives, but the danger of a nuclear war. Such a war would mean the extinction of life on our earth.Therefore, we should all be concerned, because we would all perish in such a situation.

Moreover, we are not helpless in these circumstances. It is therefore imperative that we make our voices heard.   We are united within our region in CARICOM. We are a fourteen-country alliance. This is very significant. Our collective influence on the international arena is great. Yet CARICOM leaders choose to support the US and NATO by their voting at the UN and to remain sheepishly silent outside the UN.Whenever they are forced to say anything, we hear the murmuring that “Russia invaded Ukraine.” This, of course, is ignoring everything that led Russia, a country that knows wars and abhor wars, to take the measures it did.

It is time that CARICOM as a whole and the countries that comprise it individually make their presence for peace felt. They should denounce the escalation that is presently happening by the sending of more weapons, new tanks etc. to Ukraine. After all, the alliance has a responsibility for the welfare and security of its peoples! Our leaders must discharge their duty to the Caribbean people. Let’s call for immediate negotiations and guarantee all countries security and peace.

Sincerely,

Former President Donald Ramotar

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• Donald Ramotar, Europe, Former President, Hitler Nazi, Russia, Soviet Union

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