By Richard Brenner, of the UK campaign Solidarity with the Anti-Fascist Resistance in Ukraine, via Facebook on May 3, 2015
To all Left Unity and Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (Scotland) candidates in the UK election [May 7, 2015], my suggested replies to the questionnaire being sent to election hopefuls by the pro-Kiev ‘Vox Ukraine’ are the following:
Question one: In 1994 the UK was one of four countries that signed the Budapest Memorandum, which guaranteed Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Ukraine fulfilled its promise and gave up its nuclear weapons. One year ago, Russia annexed Crimea. Russia has sponsored war and terrorism in Eastern Ukraine. Nine British citizens were aboard flight MH17 shot down with Russian missiles. If you become a Member of Parliament, would you support full restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity?
Richard Brenner answer: No. The Crimean people are majority Russian and wish overwhelmingly to secede from Ukraine – which they never voted to join when Krushchev gifted Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR in the 1950s. To ‘restore’ Crimea to Ukraine would mean to override the wishes of its people.
Question two: To solve the crisis in Eastern Ukraine, Ukraine needs to strengthen both its economic and its military power, and pressure on Russia needs to be applied. Should the UK provide money to help Ukraine reform its economy? Should the UK assist Ukraine in strengthening its military capacity? Do you support economic sanctions against Russia?Richard Brenner Q2). No. Kiev’s war against the eastern provinces in Donbass is a reactionary war against Donbass’s right to self determination. I oppose British military intervention and oppose economic sanctions as a threat to world peace.
Richard Brenner answer: No. Kiev’s war against the eastern provinces in Donbass is a reactionary war against Donbass’s right to self determination. I oppose British military intervention and oppose economic sanctions as a threat to world peace.
Question three: Mr Litvinenko, a British citizen, died in November 2006 after being poisoned with the radioactive substance polonium-210 within 20 minutes walk distance from Buckingham Palace, London. British authorities submitted a formal request for the extradition of two suspects. Both were Russian citizens, but Russia declined to cooperate. Over the last year a number of incidents involving Russian bombers and submarines have been reported around the UK borders. Do you believe that Russian actions should be considered as a threat to the UK security?
Richard Brenner answer: No. While I condemn the killing of Mr Litvinenko in 2006, at the same time I oppose the increasingly bellicose threats being made by the UK and other western powers against Russia in 2014 and 2015. I am for peace, not war.
