Member of the Irish Labour Party ・ Participant of Social Movement (Ukraine) ・ Veteran ・ Resident of Donetsk Recently, two articles were published on Aontacht Media under the name Ilya Ulyanov that claim to represent an “eastern Ukrainian” and “left-wing” perspective:
1. The Western Left Must Come To Terms With Ukraine’s Neo-Nazi Problem
I am from Donetsk. I lived there until 2014. I was a participant in the Donetsk Euromaidan. I stood on the same square where, on 13 March 2014, Dmytro Cherniavskyi was stabbed to death. I saw pro-Russian militants beating unarmed people. After that I joined volunteer units and later served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. From 2014 to 2018 I fought in the Donbas. I had to rebuild my life from scratch on government-controlled territory. In 2022 the Russian army came again — this time with a full-scale invasion. I fought again.
Today I am a participant of Social Movement in Ukraine and a member of the Irish Labour Party. I have criticised Volodymyr Zelensky since the first months of his presidency. I have openly criticised, and continue to criticise, his government for neoliberal reforms, the weakening of labour rights, oligarchic influence, corruption and much else. My comrades in Social Movement do the same. We are not “pro-Zelensky” activists. We do not defend every decision taken in Kyiv.
Precisely for that reason I see the difference between left-wing criticism and what these articles propose with particular clarity.
What Ulyanov is doing is not simply criticism of the Ukrainian government. It is the acceptance of the core scheme of Russian state propaganda: that Ukraine has no right to its own political choice; that it must remain in the orbit of the Kremlin; that any attempt to leave Russian control is a “Western project”; and that Russian armed intervention is merely a “reaction”. In essence this logic reduces Ukrainians to a population that must silently accept a status similar to that of Belarus under Moscow’s external control. This is not analysis. It is the justification of aggression dressed up as “anti-imperialism”.
Readers are invited to join the discussion – the myths which are demolished here have circulated in all parts of the globe – some are specific to Ireland -which we have highlighted in previous blog articles on this site – see references at the end of this article.
The policy of Irish Left With Ukraine (ILWU) is highlighted by the slogan
Ukraine, Palestine, Occupation Is A Crime
Marching Against the Visit to Ireland of USA President Donald Trump, September 12 2026Marching Against the Visit to Ireland of USA President Donald Trump, September 12 2026Marching Against the Visit to Ireland of USA President Donald Trump, September 12 2026
TL;DR: Part 9 of the ‘With Washington and Moscow’ series. Not an analytical piece: a tool for conversations that happen at short notice in group chats, meetings, and pub debates. Each entry is self-contained. Where the evidence is genuinely contested, it is described as such. Seventeen claims are answered. The 2014 coup claim has to explain why the coup produced an OSCE-observed election in which Svoboda fell from 10.45 to 1.16 per cent. The civil war claim runs into Igor Girkin, the FSB colonel who seized Sloviansk and later said he pulled the trigger of this war, a hostile witness the Kremlin has since jailed. The “not one inch eastward” pledge was real and verbal, and Russia then signed the 1997 Founding Act accepting that every state chooses its own security arrangements. The Johnson-at-Istanbul story rests on one Arakhamia sentence while omitting the next one, and on a visit that came ten days after the talks ended. The proxy claim collapses against Kursk, the refinery strikes and the Chevron tankers. Also covered: language law, Minsk, the UN Nazism resolution, Russia’s imperialist character, the polling shift to 69 per cent for negotiations alongside 80 per cent refusing territorial concessions, and Baltic and Georgian agency in NATO accession.
Many of these claims circulate simultaneously through Russian state media and MAGA-aligned outlets — a convergence examined in Part 10 of this series. This document addresses the factual substance regardless of the source.
Marching Against the Visit to Ireland of USA President Donald Trump, September 12 2026Marching Against the Visit to Ireland of USA President Donald Trump, September 12 2026Marching Against the Visit to Ireland of USA President Donald Trump, September 12 2026
1. ‘The CIA staged a coup in 2014 and installed a far-right government in Ukraine’
Gregor Kerr reports on the ICTU Global Solidarity School, Wexford, August 20 2026
On Thursday 20th August 2026, Irish Left With Ukraine hosted a session at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Global Solidarity Summer School entitled ‘Practical Solidarity – what should Irish trade unionists be doing to support our Ukrainian colleagues?’
The session was introduced by Gregor Kerr, Irish Left With Ukraine who thanked the organisers of the Summer School for facilitating the discussion. He asked delegates to “…put yourself in the shoes of Ukrainian workers and trade unionists – people who in the last months of 2021 and the early months of 2022 were grappling with exactly the same sort of struggles we face on a day to day basis – struggles with individual employers about wage rates and terms and conditions, struggles with the broader neo-liberal government agenda on issues of access to public health, housing, education etc etc.?” When their lives were turned upside down by the horrors of the invasion, he asked “How do any of us know how we would respond in such a situation? Our pre-ordained political theory might suddenly not fit the reality of the brutality of what is happening.”
Our challenge, he said, is to listen to the voice of Ukrainian trade unionists and leftists and ask them “What’s your experience? What do you want us to do? How can we show our solidarity with you?” By listening, we realise the importance of arguing for “…the right of Ukrainian people to resist the invasion by whatever means they feel necessary, for their right to get the weapons they need to mount that resistance from whatever source they can whether we like that source or not – which can obviously be a sticking point for many. But sticking point or not …. Our job is not to say what we think Ukrainians should say or do. Our job is to listen, to provide a platform, to amplify their voices.”
Gregor argued that “…there is a huge difference between saying We should remain militarily neutral and should not join any military bloc, should have nothing to do with NATO and also being able to say at the same time that in any instance of conflict we are on the side of the oppressed against the oppressor…..we must defend Solidarity as well as Neutrality – We stand with the Palestinians in their struggle against the oppression of apartheid Israel, We stand with the people of Ukraine in their struggle against the oppression of the invading Russian forces.”
He praised the Irish trade union movement for being unequivocal in our support for Ukraine since the invasion in February 2022, through motions passed, statements issued and practical fundraising and solidarity donations. “…the importance of all pledges and concrete actions of solidarity cannot be over-stated,” he concluded. “And, indeed, the importance of providing a space and a platform for the amplification of the voices of Ukrainian trade unionists and workers is possibly the singular most important thing any of us can do in terms of supporting Ukrainian resistance to the invasion of their country by Putin’s imperialist forces.”
The Irish trade union movement and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions have been unequivocal in our support for Ukraine since the brutal Russian invasion in February 2022.
In March 2022, ICTU organised a well-attended demonstration outside the Russian embassy to mark the one-month anniversary of the invasion.
The 2023 Biennial Delegate Conference passed a comprehensive motion proposed by the Dublin Council of Trade Unions which, among other things, condemned the invasion, called for an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces, sent solidarity to the trade union movement and workers of Ukraine and to all peace, anti-war, trade union and workers activists in the Russian Federation and condemned imperialist war, expansion and aggression anywhere in the world from any big power or their clients, or from any military alliance.
In February of this year, in a statement to mark the fourth anniversary of the invasion ICTU reaffirmed its support for the Ukrainian people in their fight for sovereignty and self-determination and stated
“Trade unions have always stood proudly against imperialism. As the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, that commitment remains as strong as ever. We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, with their trade unions, and with all those who resist imperialist and authoritarian regimes. A just and lasting peace, one based on respect for Ukrainian sovereignty, is what they deserve, and it is what we will continue to advocate for.”
Over the past 4 and a half years, ICTU and many unions have run fundraising efforts and moneys raised have gone to the Irish Red Cross and to the International Trade Union Confederation fund to support Ukrainian unions.
Ukraine’s Reality and the Power of International Solidarity
Kateryna Maliuta of the Ukrainian Trade Union, the TUESWU and Education International, delivered this presentation to the August 20 2026 ICTU Global Solidarity School in Wexford. It can be downloaded here.
It is packed with useful and inspiring information.
Kateryna Maliuta-Osaulova is the International Secretary of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine. Born in 1984 in a small town in the central part of Ukraine, Kateryna graduated from the Institute of International Relations and Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine and has been working in trade unions since 2011, first in the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, and then in the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine.
We also add below the text of the presentation slides.
The solidarity described here needs to be repeated in the coming months.
Therefore, an International Convoy – presently planned to arrive in Ukraine in November 2026 – is currently being organised.
Details are here :
As first steps, readers are encouraged to find out more at this link – consider spreading the word – and adding individual and organizational endorsements, as appropriate.
While Russian FPV drones crossing the Dnieper hunt civilians at bus stops in Nikopol and Kherson, while yet more one-and-a-half-ton glide bombs fall on apartment blocks in Kramatorsk, while Russian anti-war socialists rot in Mordovian prisons… the Greek “anti-imperialist” politician Yanis Varoufakis is dancing on the stage at a Moscow investment forum to a techno track repeating his own name.
How does he manage to be like this? One has to be real human mold to behave this way. I could end the post here. But I’ll add a bit more.
Report of Public Meeting : Solidarity With the People of Ukraine – Bring the Stolen Children Home
Irish Left With Ukraine (ILWU) held a very fruitful meeting on Tuesday 24 March 2026 in the Teachers Club. Interesting insights were shared. The discussion showed us all the hope that if you take action, you can make a difference.
We thank Alex Yurov, Aishe Kurtamet (Crimean refugee and mother of her abducted son Appaz), Catriona Crowe (Archivist and Historian), Sandra Corrigan (INTO Global Solidarity Officer) and Ruth O’ Dea (Labour Party) for their contributions.
Alex Yurov reviewed the situation in Donetsk from 2014, when Russia invaded that part of Ukraine. He gave us details of systematic removal and “re‑education” of children into Russian territory.
Aishe Kurtamet told the story of her son Appaz who was abducted in Crimea.
Aishe gave a sustained account of her son Appaz’s 2023 abduction from Kherson, alleging transfer to occupied Crimea, detention, forced collaboration offers, torture, and imprisonment in multiple Russian facilities; she also reported her son’s father was later abducted, tortured, and sentenced.
Link to information about the plight of Appaz Kurtamet :
Sandra Corrigan, Global Solidarity Officer of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation, described international solidarity work for teachers and children, including a solidarity fund, emergency supplies, trauma support, and advocacy that helped secure teacher salary increases for 2025–2026. Ukrainian teacher union reports emphasised the prolonged conflict and an education crisis.
Catriona Crowe described the fascist and genocidal nature of the war Russia is waging in Ukraine – one proof of that description is the systematic kidnapping and disappearing of children in zones of occupation. She drew our attention to the awful history of child abuse in Ireland’s Mother and Baby homes.
Aishe Kurmatet with chairperson Garrett MullanCatriona Crowe, blogger and archivist, discusses the plight of kidnapped childrenRuth O’Dea (Labour party)Aishe Kurmatet dosplays a picture of her son Appaz, a political Prisoner detained by RussiaSandra Corrigan (INTO Global Solidarity Officer) presents details, trade union solidarity
She highlighted the international attention shift away from Ukraine to other conflicts, such as Iran, and the need for continued support.
She emphasized the importance of providing Ukraine with adequate weaponry to resist Russian aggression.
She discussed the broader context of the war, including the unprovoked invasion by Russia and the significant casualties on both sides. war on Ukrainian children, including the kidnapping and indoctrination by Russian authorities.
Yesterday Conor Gallagher in The Irish Times, working with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, revealed shocking details about the supply chain linked to the Aughinish Alumina plant in Limerick.
His report outlined how significant quantities of alumina from this facility are being exported to Russia, where they are being used to make aluminium, which is then sold to a trading company supplying over 100 Russian weapons manufacturers. It is deeply alarming to see that shipments of Irish alumina to Russia have increased significantly since Putin’s brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It is horrific to see this. It is unconscionable that a plant operating in Ireland could be contributing to materials used in the destruction of so many communities and so much civilian infrastructure in Ukraine and can be used to kill children in Ukraine. This is appalling to see and I do welcome the Taoiseach’s commitment to review this report, but the question is clear: what urgent action will the Taoiseach take to ensure that no Irish-based industry or business is complicit in supporting Russia’s war machine?
Ivana Bacik is right to insist that the Irish government must take “urgent action” on this issue – words and good intentions are not good enough.
In the letters page of the Irish Times (Friday May 27) Conor O’Neill – Head of Policy, Christian Aid Ireland; Chair, Irish Coalition for Business & Human Rights points out :
Aughinish exposes a general trend in State attitude to Ukraine, Palestine, human rights …
Simon Pirani offers extremely useful insights which are relevant to every European country, including Ireland.
Insight 1
On the political side, socialists in Nordic countries are streets ahead of us in the UK, perhaps because they are geographically closer to Russia. Bjarke Friborg of the Red-Green Alliance in Denmark underlined in a recent interview the “very real” threat posed by Putin’s regime, “not necessarily in terms of ‘tanks rolling into Paris’, but certainly as a threat to democracy, sovereignty and the principle that borders can not be changed by brute force”. He continued: We oppose Russian imperialism just as we have opposed American and NATO imperialism: not by supporting one bloc against another, but by defending the right of peoples to self-determination and supporting democratic and progressive forces in Russia and its client state, Belarus.
This excellent article appeared in the Friday March 20 2026 issue of the Irish Times :
Concerning the differences between the Ukrainian and Russian States, Catriona Crowe hits the nail on the head :
Casualties are breaking down at a ratio of 2-2.5 to 1, with Russia suffering the largest proportion, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. While the international press can report from Ukraine, although with some difficulty and considerable danger from the front lines, the Kremlin has detained at least 27 journalists since 2022, and 355 international journalists have been branded “foreign agents”.
Irish Times March 20 2026
Catriona Crowe: The brave few risking everything to unmask Putin’s Russia
The Oscar-winning documentary Mr Nobody against Putin is a record of something totally unseen in the world outside Russia
Ukraine is now in the fifth year of its war with Russia, an unprovoked invasion of a sovereign state based on Vladimir Putin’s desire to reconstitute the Russian Empire. It is estimated that casualties for both sides (killed, wounded and missing) will amount to two million sometime this year.
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.
