Self-Determination and the War in Ukraine
Two months ago, when I wrote “A Letter to the Western Left from Kyiv,” I hoped that the shock of the Russian invasion and the voices of the Ukrainian left would push Western leftists to reconsider their approach. Unfortunately, too many of them have failed to do so. In their analyses of the war, Ukrainians […]
The war on workers? What is wrong with labor regulations under martial law
After February 24, as Ukraine was showered by deadly Russian missiles, employees faced an unprecedented crisis. Continuing to work became risky in every sense of the word[1]. It was not difficult to predict the reaction of employers to the new challenges. According to business and human rights expert Olena Uvarova, companies put financial survival first. […]
Credit won’t work: Why Ukraine’s state debt must be cancelled
On April 10 the World Bank updated its GDP prognosis for Ukraine to state that the Russian invasion was to shrink Ukraine’s economy by 45% in 2022 alone.[1] But that is a very optimistic prognosis. As by March 29th, the country’s direct one-time losses due to the invasion already exceed $1 trillion. Even prior to […]
Without shelter: housing policy in wartime
"The realtor said that today there were more than 300 requests, with only 5 apartments successfully found." "We searched all over the Lviv oblast, nothing came out in Lviv, but we managed to find an apartment in Lutsk, so we are heading there." "I will probably have to return to Kharkiv." I hear similar words […]
Une guerre genante: que faire lorsque la Russie attaque l’Ukraine mais que tu es de gauche?
Le 24 février dernier l’armée russe a commencé son invasion de l’Ukraine. À la fin de la troisième semaine de l’invasion, on déplore des milliers de victimes civiles et nombreux sont les hôpitaux et les écoles détruits par les bombardements. Une véritable crise humanitaire se déroule dans les villes assiégées, alors que l’agresseur utilise des […]
Six cats, thirty people, four mortar shells. Two weeks in the occupied Kyiv suburb
For almost two weeks – from February 24th to March 10th – me, thirty other people, and six cats were living in the dormitory of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in the township of Vorzel’, an administrative part of neighbouring Irpin’, so a suburb of Kyiv’s suburb. The majority of the building’s denizens moved out throughout the first […]
The war in Ukraine and the Global South
On March 10, 2022, The Guardian published an article titled “The west v Russia: why the global south isn’t taking sides,” by David Adler, the general coordinator of the Progressive International. In essence, the author of the text tries to justify the position of that part of the Western Left which refused to support the […]
Murky future. What would Putin do in case of his military defeat?
The tenth of March, at 5 a.m. marked exactly two weeks since the start of a full-fledged Russian invasion of Ukraine, shamelessly dubbed a “special operation” by the Kremlin. The war continues right at this moment with countless civilian deaths in Kharkiv, Mariupol, Izium, and other Ukrainian cities, and with Russian tanks burning at the […]
To Help Ukraine, Cancel Its Foreign Debt
In recent days, numerous governments have announced financial as well as military support for Ukraine, as it faces a devastating Russian invasion and an exodus of refugees already counting well over 1.5 million. Such reliance on outside help is not new. Since the 1990s Ukraine’s economy has lagged badly behind other former Eastern bloc countries, […]
Notes from Lviv in times of war
I am writing this text on the night of 7-8 March in Lviv. This is the fourth year of my living in Lviv, and I met the war here. It seems that my whole life has passed since my mother's morning call. She told me that “we are being bombed.” My life and the lives […]
