Greek politician Yanis Varoufakis is listed as a speaker at the BRICS Urban Future Forum 2025 to be held in Moscow, Russia, from September 17-18. Jeffrey Sachs was well recieved at last year’s event. Ilya Mateev wonders what Varoufakis hopes to achieve.
1. Education for Russians is good and right. I have no idea of “cancelling those living in Russia” – my approach is precisely the opposite. I do a great deal for education, discussion and bridge-building in Russia, though for obvious reasons I won’t write about this in detail. Overall, I am OBVIOUSLY in favour of any constructive activity involving those in Russia, and I consider this very important.
2. There are no problems with Varoufakis’s book being published in Russian. The book is rubbish and not worth the time spent on it, but that’s another conversation. The very fact of translation can only be welcomed.
3. Varoufakis is a public intellectual and even an activist (well, sort of). He had various options for engaging with Russians. He could have organised a closed Zoom event for Russian readers of his book and spoken with them candidly. After all, his DiEM25 [1] could have taken an interest in Russian opposition and left politics, Russian political prisoners, and so forth. Solidarity at the level of society and grassroots initiatives is both possible and valuable.
4. Varoufakis and his organisation did nothing of the sort. Instead, he went to the Moscow government’s urban planning forum. Such events are dubious in any country – they are thoroughly business establishment affairs, no place for leftists. In Russia there’s an additional factor – war, censorship, the impossibility of even asking a question without risk of criminal prosecution [2]. In such a situation, joining with bankers, developers, Chinese and Saudi surveillance companies is really beyond the pale.
5. Of course, Varoufakis does all this consciously. I think this is how he represents anti-imperialist struggle against the damned West and evil NATO (plus money, attention, first-class flights, etc.). This behaviour (whilst completely ignoring Russian grassroots initiatives) is precisely campism [3] – I’ll hang out with the Kremlin against the White House and Brussels. A dead end in political evolution.
6. The fact that I can’t even call on readers in Russia to ask Varoufakis some pointed question (because I have common sense) precisely demonstrates that he’s wrong to go and is engaging in nonsense. It’s shameful to speak at an event where the audience could get a two-year prison sentence [4] for their questions.
Ilya Mateev is one of the tens of thousands of anti-war Russians living in exile.
[1] DiEM25 (Democracy in Europe Movement 2025) is a pan-European political movement founded by Varoufakis in 2016, advocating for democratic reform of EU institutions and progressive economic policies
[2] Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the country has implemented increasingly harsh censorship laws, including criminalising “discrediting” the armed forces or spreading “fake news” about the war, with penalties of up to 15 years in prison
[3] Campism refers to the political tendency to reflexively support one geopolitical “camp” against another, often leading to uncritical backing of authoritarian regimes simply because they oppose Western powers
[4] Under current Russian law, individuals can face up to two years imprisonment for various speech-related offences, including “discrediting” the military or spreading information deemed “extremist”
Seriously, nothing good will come out of this, save a bit of schadenfreude. It will only enrage the far right even more and replacements will be found. Just like the daft idea of shooting Trump. He survived and made the most of it propaganda-wise. I am completely opposed to any idea of assassination of our opponents.
Let’s wait to see the results of the police investigation. At the time of writing no definitive evidence is in the public domain about the identity of the assassin.
Ukraine, the Ukrainian left, and the European Network for Solidarity with Ukraine (ENSU) were present in Barcelona at the farewell to the Freedom Flotilla in Gaza. A symbolic but very welcome action. We’ve made more friends. The message from our friends at Sotsialny Rukh is below :
Ucraïna, l’esquerra ucraïnesa i XESU presents a Barcelona al comiat de la Flotilla de la Llibertat a Gaza. Una acció simbòlica, però molt ben rebuda. Hem fet més amics. Ara el missatge enviat pels nostres amics de Sotsialny Ruhk:
Ucrania, la izquierda ucraniana y XESU presentes en Barcelona en la despedida de la Flotilla de la Libertad en Gaza. Una acción simbólica pero muy bien recibida. Hemos hecho más amigos. Ahora el mensaje enviado por nuestros amigos de Sotsialny Ruhk.
We write from Ukraine with respect for your courage and in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Having lived through invasion, occupation, forced displacement, and separation from our loved ones, many of us know too well what these mean. We also remember the history that has led to this day: the dispossession of the Nakba, the continuing violence and land-grabbing by settlers, the persistent denial of the right to return, and the suffocating blockade that has turned Gaza into an open-air prison. We see how civilians, women and children are disproportionately targeted, trapped on a narrow strip of land where famine has been manufactured and where homes, schools, and hospitals have become ruins. The paralysis of the so-called international community, unable or unwilling to intervene and put a stop to this madness, feels painfully familiar to us. We commend the dedication of the Freedom Flotilla, and we believe that solidarity, even when symbolic, can break the spell of inevitability. We add our voices to demands for a permanent ceasefire and an end to apartheid-like structures, for a future based on dignity, equality, and respect. May the path you embark on today become a safe passage for aid, and tomorrow, a corridor for freedom!
CATALÀ
Us escrivim des d’Ucraïna amb respecte pel vostre coratge i solidaritat amb el poble de Palestina. Havent viscut la invasió, l’ocupació, el desplaçament forçat i la separació dels nostres éssers estimats, molts de nosaltres sabem prou bé el què significa tot això.
També recordem la història que ha portat fins avui: la despossessió de la Nakba, la violència contínua i l’apropiació de terres per part dels colons, la negació persistent del dret al retorn i el bloqueig sufocant que ha convertit Gaza en una presó a l’aire lliure. Veiem com els civils, les dones i els nens són un desmesurat objectiu, atrapats en una estreta franja de terra on s’ha provocat expressament la fam i on les cases, les escoles i els hospitals s’han convertit en ruïnes. La paràlisi de l’anomenada comunitat internacional, incapaç o no disposada a intervenir i posar fi a aquesta bogeria, ens resulta dolorosament familiar.
Elogiem la dedicació de la Flotilla de la Llibertat i creiem que la solidaritat, fins i tot quan és simbòlica, pot trencar la idea d’una desgracia inevitable. Sumem les nostres veus a les demandes d’un alto el foc permanent i la fi de les estructures semblants a l’apartheid, per un futur basat en la dignitat, la igualtat i el respecte. Que el camí que empreneu avui esdevingui un pas segur per a l’ajuda i, demà, un corredor per a la llibertat!
ESPAÑOL (CASTELLANO)
Les escribimos desde Ucrania con respeto por su valentía y solidaridad con el pueblo palestino. Habiendo vivido la invasión, la ocupación, el desplazamiento forzoso y la separación de nuestros seres queridos, muchos de nosotros sabemos muy bien lo que esto significa. También recordamos la historia que ha llevado a esta situación: el despojo de la Nakba, la violencia continua y el acaparamiento de tierras por parte de los colonos, la negación persistente del derecho al retorno y el bloqueo asfixiante que ha convertido a Gaza en una prisión al aire libre. Vemos como los civiles, las mujeres y los niños son blanco de ataques desproporcionados, atrapados en una estrecha franja de tierra donde se ha provocado una hambruna y donde las casas, las escuelas y los hospitales se han convertido en ruinas. La parálisis de la llamada comunidad internacional, incapaz o poco dispuesta a intervenir y poner fin a esta locura, nos resulta dolorosamente familiar. Elogiamos la dedicación de la Flotilla de la Libertad y creemos que la solidaridad, aunque sea simbólica, puede romper el hechizo de la inevitabilidad. Sumamos nuestras voces a las demandas de un alto el fuego permanente y el fin de las estructuras similares al apartheid, por un futuro basado en la dignidad, la igualdad y el respeto. ¡Que el camino que emprenden hoy se convierta en un paso seguro para la ayuda y, mañana, en un corredor para la libertad!
To: The European Commission, the governments of European Union Member States and the United Kingdom
After US president Trump’s “summits” with Putin (August 15) and European leaders (August 18) Ukraine confronts the appalling prospect of an unjust “peace” settlement that rewards the Russian aggressor.
If forced on Ukraine, it will legitimise:
The violent Russian occupation of a fifth of Ukrainian territory and the swap to Russia of territory and people presently under Ukrainian administration
The destruction of Ukraine’s towns, schools, hospitals, infrastructure, environment and heritage
The murder of tens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens and the kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children, and
The genocidal Russification of the occupied territories, and a host of other war crimes.
It will also place the burden of ending the war not on aggressor Russia but on Ukraine, its victim–even as the Putin regime steps up its bombardments of Ukraine’s cities and infrastructure.
Diplomatic and Political skirmishes between the USA and western European governments – Ireland, Denmark, France to name but a few – are spreading.
Here is a case study.
Copenhagen is not amused by Yankee covert operations in Greenland :
Denmark summoned the top U.S. diplomat in Copenhagen on Wednesday after Danish media reported that Americans with ties to President Donald Trump had carried out covert influence operations in Greenland.
Danish broadcaster DR reported that at least three U.S. citizens linked to the U.S. government were involved in activities that, reportedly, authorities fear could be used covertly to support Trump’s desire to make Greenland part of the United States.
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the U.S. chargé d’affaires — currently its most senior diplomat in Denmark — had been summoned in response. He called any interference in Danish affairs “unacceptable,” and emphasized that Copenhagen “will of course not accept covert operations on our territory,” in a statement emailed by his ministry, according to the AP.
When powerful governments publicly argue like this – in this case the former (?) friends Denmark and the USA – is it useful to declare “a plague on both your houses”?
The answer is No. Concrete analysis is needed, and concrete answers must be promoted. The war of words escalated after a provocative visit by Donald Trump’s vice president JD Vance to Greenland in April 2025.
The screenwriter of many Ken Loach films – including The Wind That Shakes the Barley – Paul Laverty – has been arrested in Edinburgh for wearing a Pro-Palestine T Shirt.
Paul Laverty, Scriptwriter of many Ken Loach films including The Wind That Shakes the Barley arrested in Edinburgh for wearing a Pro-Palestine T Shirt. http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-poli…
EXCLUSIVE: Watch Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty reads out the names of the 22 members of the UK Government Cabinet 'guilty of collusion with genocide' before he was arrested this morning 👇
“I now have been charged with a terrorism offence… charged with terrorism because you oppose starvation, oppose the execution of the starving. “Another [Palestinian] journalist was murdered this morning, [there was] another attack on a hospital, and I'm being accused of terrorism.”• Paul Laverty
Duncan Chapel, a revolutionary socialist based in Scotland, hosts a blog which explores big political and social changes in the world we live in.
The article below addresses many troubling developments on the left which have erupted in the 21st century. These trends exist everywhere – Duncan is very familiar with awful examples from the British state.
Readers on the left in in Ireland may be familiar with the example of “Counterfire” which is degenerating rapidly :
The red-brown disease can spread further without inoculation. Organizations at risk like Counterfire in Britain, while maintaining left-wing rhetoric, have consistently aligned with authoritarian positions internationally, acting as surrogates for Assad, Putin and Trump. Their opposition to supporting Ukrainian resistance and their hostility to transgender struggles reveals the logical endpoint of politics that prioritize “anti-Western” positioning over genuine solidarity with the oppressed.
Mapping the Conservative Left: Why Some Socialists Sound Like the Right
Four conservative left tendencies: each represents a different form of capitulation
The rise of the far-right across Europe and North America has prompted urgent soul-searching on the left. From Trump’s return to power to the growth of Alternative for Germany (AfD), from Giorgia Meloni’s ascendancy in Italy to the surge of Reform UK, reactionary forces are capitalizing on widespread social discontent. Yet a troubling phenomenon has emerged alongside this rightward shift: sections of the left itself have begun adopting positions that sound suspiciously similar to those of their supposed political opponents.
This “conservative left” represents a fundamental betrayal of socialist principles. Rather than offering a genuine alternative to capitalist crisis, these currents have absorbed key elements of right-wing discourse—from economic nationalism and anti-immigrant sentiment to cultural traditionalism and geopolitical authoritarianism. Understanding this phenomenon is crucial for any socialist strategy that seeks to build genuine working-class unity against our real enemies: the capitalist class and their political representatives.
Two fascist gun-slingers : convicted rapist President Donald Trump (USA) and indicted international war criminal Vladimir Putin (Russia), embraced in Alaska. The USA grabbed Alaska in the 19th Century through a deal with Russia, its imperialist partner-in-crime. Uncle Sam took over the vast icy territory through the ugly and brutal method of ethnic cleansing. Civilised people hoped this ugly feature of international capitalism was a thing of the past. Wishful thinking : it is returning with ominous force in the 21st Century – especially in Ukraine and Palestine.
Volodymyr Zelensky was a target of the Alaska fascist-fascist war-crime plan. The President of Ukraine was summoned to the White House (Washington DC). A charade was staged.
Leaders of the main imperialist powers in Western Europe saw a car-crash coming : On the one hand they were opposed to witnessing Zelensky crushed by the fascist-fascist Trump-Putin steamroller, and they did not want to be accomplices to an infamous surrender. Haunting memories : the pathetic 1938 British Imperialist leader Neville Chamberlain came back from a Munich summit with the Nazi warlord Adolf Hitler – “peace in our time” said Neville, as the people of Czechoslovakia and its leader Edvard Benes were sacrificed. One year later – “peaceful” Herr Hitler invaded Poland, World War Two began.
On the other hand Macron of France, Merz of Germany – and company – wanted to avoid a direct and open clash with the White House gangster, Putin’s ally Trump. Therefore, observers were offered a charade : One after another Zelensky, Macron, Merz, Von der Leyen, Meloni, Starmer, and Rutte smeared the vain gangster Trump with praise.
In weeks months and years to come, people all over the globe will look back at the Russian imperialist invasion of Ukraine and wonder why more people of the left failed to agree with Denys Pilash. Denys is a Ukrainian political scientist, historian, a member of the Ukrainian democratic socialist organization Sotsialnyi Rukh, and an editor at Commons: Journal of Social Criticism. Mearsheimer is a right-wing Professor who works in Chicago.
Professor Mearsheimer (Chicago); Trump-Putin, fascist-fascist twins; Denys Pilash, Sotsialnyi Rukh Social Movement) Ukraine
President Trump says he is working on a “deal” to end the Russia-Ukraine war by hosting a series of meetings between the U.S., European Union, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. Putin is insisting Russia keep areas of Ukraine that it has seized, including the long-contested Donbas region, while Zelensky is asking the U.S. for security guarantees to prevent future invasion by its powerful neighbor. We host a conversation with two political scientists, University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer and Ukrainian democratic socialist Denys Pilash, about the likely outcome of the talks and the roots of the conflict. Mearsheimer says “the sides remain so far apart” when it comes to the possibility of a ceasefire during peace negotiations that “the best outcome would be to settle this war now.” Pilash, on the other hand, says there are still measures that can be taken to pressure Russia to agree to a ceasefire and to secure more favorable postwar terms for Ukraine.
The headline-writers of the Irish Times did a great job summing up a Keith Duffy account of the 2025 Trump-Putin Anchorage Alaska summit.
“Nauseating charade as Putin comes out of international purgatory on Trump’s red carpet” – Eleven words sum up an Alaskan summit
Irish Times Story headline, August 16 2025
Popular opposition to a fascist-inspired attack on Ukraine is spreading, but will it be enough to prevent a disaster on the European continent? At the time of writing a Washington DC meeting pits Donald Trump against the Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, who will be accompanied by several powerful European leaders such as Macron of France and Merz of Germany.
While the big European powers back Ukraine in words, there are major doubts over their ability or willingness to back Ukraine in practice. It is clear to all observers that the Trump-Putin policy is anti-Ukraine – yet the European leaders, and President Zelensky, refuse to resist Trump.
A Financial Times editorial (August 17 2025) sums up the position well :
European leaders will be tempted to celebrate Trump’s support for European security guarantees for Ukraine as a diplomatic advance and proof of enduring transatlantic co-operation. But it will count for little if the proposed deal is tantamount to Ukraine’s capitulation.
The picture may be more clear after the Trump-Putin appeasement plan is unveiled in the White House to Zelensky and the leaders of the main European states today (August 18 2025).
An Irish Times Editorial (August 17 2025) does a service to its readers :
Tomás Ó Flatharta 