Statement
Support for and solidarity with the residents of Donbass
We, the participants of the Donbass International Solidarity Forum “Antifascism, Internationalism, Solidarity,”express our deepest concern for the fate of the inhabitants of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, caught in the midst of a civil war.
Since being unleashed by Ukraine in 2014, fighting with heavy weapons, including aircraft, has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. More than 1 million were displaced. The regular Ukrainian army and so-called “volunteer” battalions staged a real slaughter in the Donbass, cracking down on civilians who did not want to leave their homes. The region’s economy suffered enormous damage. Restoration of the economy, overcoming the consequences of the humanitarian disaster, will require billions of dollars and years of work.
We believe that participation of the governments of other countries in unleashing the military conflict in the Donbass today imposes responsibility on the entire world community for the future of the region. And we, as progressive forces, cannot stand apart.
We consider it our duty to express our full support to the residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions affected by fascism, who refuse to bow their heads before it. We are ready to devote our joint efforts to defend peace and justice in the Donbass. The residents of Donbass should have the right to determine their own future.
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| Ghost Brigade Commander Alexei Mozgovoi welcomes the AIS Forum. Photo: Comitato per il Donbass Antinazista |
We believe that free Donbass will choose the leftist path of development. Socialism and labor solidarity — that is the road to a new, fair life for everyone who has lived through the horrors of war.
We are united with the Donbass in our desire for peace, social justice and democracy.
We call on the entire international community to turn its eyes toward the Donbass and support Lugansk and Donetsk in their quest for freedom, development and peace, as well as in their struggle against the fascist regime in Ukraine.
Adopted on May 8, 2015
Alechevsk, Lugansk People’s Republic
Translated by Greg Butterfield
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