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Statement of German conference supporter “Federal Association of Workers’ Photography” (Bundesverband Arbeiterfotografie)

24 October 2023


Peace instead of warmongering!

The “Federal Association of Workers’ Photography” (Bundesverband Arbeiterfotografie) supports the peace conference “For a true and just peace – stop the third world war”. It demands – not only for Germany: “NATO out” and “Get out of NATO”, in particular “NATO out of Eastern Europe!” Its complete declaration follows:

Since 24 February 2022, another major threat has been added to the global shock of the Corona incident – the threat of a destructive conflagration emanating from Ukraine. It is as if the West has been waiting for this situation for a long time in order to be able to raise an initially media storm against Russia. Beginning in the run-up, the distribution of Russian media is being prevented. This alone does not give good reason to suspect anything good and can only be interpreted as part of a war against Russia.

Systematically against the UN Charter

It can be assumed that Russia’s military operation in Ukraine would never have taken place if the West had not acted in such a boundlessly arrogant and provocative manner. All proposals by Russia to take its security interests into account have been met with a negative response for years. Since 2004, everything has been done to provoke Russia. There have been two regime change operations in Ukraine supported and financed by the West (USA/NATO) (Orange Revolution 2004 and Euro-Maidan 2014). The activities of neo-fascist forces in Ukraine are silently tolerated. Germany and France, as guarantors of the Minsk Agreement, have done nothing for 7 years to persuade the Ukrainian leadership to implement it. On the contrary, the West has supplied and continues to supply weapons and train fighters. In doing so, the West systematically violates Article 2, paragraph 4, of the United Nations Charter, which reads: “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from any threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State or otherwise inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.”

Stop the thief!

And now that the Russian leadership has pulled the ripcord, the violators of international law from the West are screaming: “Stop thief!” But has Russia violated international law? When it is claimed that Russia violated Article 2 of the UN Charter, it overlooks the fact that it was preceded by the West’s violation and Russia responded to it. Moreover, Article 51 states that “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations… Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council…”

Right to self-defence

The US Peace Council states: “Based on Article 51, the Russian Federation has invoked its right to self-defense and has duly informed the Security Council. Russia presents important arguments in favor of its use of force under Article 51. The Ukraine government has acted as the US and NATO’s proxy in hostilely encircling the Russian Federation. Ukraine military and paramilitaries have attacked Donetsk and Lugansk since 2014, resulting in the deaths of some 14,000 of their own people, many of whom were Russian speakers and some Russian citizens. Most recently, Russia discovered an imminent Ukrainian government plan for a large-scale invasion of the Donetsk and Lugansk that border Russia. Russia now recognizes these two republics as independent states, after they asked Russia to aid in their defense.”

Unparalleled media campaign

The war would end quickly if the West were to respond to Russia’s justified security guarantees. Unfortunately, this is not to be expected; both US Secretary of State Blinken and NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg are talking about a long war, and at the same time an unprecedented demonisation of Russia is taking place. The US has already achieved parts of its long-term goals. Nord Stream II has been buried. German politics has been fully integrated into the transatlantic camp, contrary to its economic interests. The German arms budget is being increased in accordance with the long-standing demands of the USA. Added to this is the astronomical sum of 100 billion for arming the German armed forces. The nuclear arsenal on German soil is being modernised and F35 stealth bombers are being acquired with which German soldiers can illegally drop US bombs in the future. At the same time, an unparalleled media campaign has overturned the majority public sentiment in Germany in favour of peaceful coexistence with Russia.

Script RAND CORP 2019

The USA and its Western vassals will not stop there. Russia is to be stigmatised in the media and economically stormed with sanctions. The script can be read in the RAND CORP strategy paper of April 2019. The RAND CORP. is, according to its own name, a “non-profit and non-partisan organisation”, which is, however, “funded by the Pentagon, the US Army and Air Force, the national security agencies (CIA and others), the authorities of other countries and powerful non-governmental organisations” (3). This fatal policy will not only cause countless victims among the Russian and Ukrainian population, but will be carried out on the backs of all people in Europe and will drive us closer to the cliff of a nuclear war.

De-escalation is the order of the day!

We do not want a “turn of the times” leading to war, no enemy relations with Russia, no sanctions that are ruinous for Russia and Europe, no arms deliveries to the war zone and no military build-up, but we want Russia to finally get its justified security guarantees, which are only part of what they were promised after the unification of Germany. We demand – not only for Germany: “NATO out” and “Get out of NATO” (4), in particular “NATO out of Eastern Europe!” De-escalation is the order of the day! Two world wars are a reminder! There must not be an all-destroying third!


Notes:

(1) https://uspeacecouncil.org/u-s-peace-council-statement-on-russias-military-intervention-in-ukraine/
(2) https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB10014.html
(3) https://www.zeit-fragen.ch/archiv/2022/nr-7-22-maerz-2022/ukraine-das-stand-alles-im-strategiepapier-der-rand-corp.html
(4) Also see website http://www.NATOraus.de and “New “Krefeld Appeal” – Stop the warmongers” (https://peaceappeal21.de)