The PTB Leader’s Perspective on the Crisis in Ukraine: Seeking Peace and Diplomacy

2024-02-28 14:13:00

This Wednesday Maxime Binet and his guest returned to the war in Ukraine.

Are we not at risk of being duped by the Russian regime? “We must guarantee the sovereignty of Ukraine but we also need peace negotiations. At some point, the war has to end. From the beginning, the PTB condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Today, many of us say that we need a diplomatic solution to the conflict. I think the damage on site, but also here, is too great. We do not need a war on our continent,” explains the PTB leader to the federal parliament.

The PTB, loyal to the Kremlin according to its parliamentary adversaries. Is it true ? “It makes no sense. We have never been pro-Putin. Besides, it was the Westerners who shook hands with Putin 20 years ago, and who wanted to make trade agreements with him,” retorts Sophie Merckx, before continuing: “What we especially denounce today, it is ‘double standards’ in international politics. Is the life of a Ukrainian worth more than the life of a Palestinian or a Congolese? Why do we react differently to Ukraine and Palestine? In the case of Israel, which violates international law, we are facing a strategic ally. And that’s what these ‘double standards’ are. We must call for a ceasefire in all conflicts.”

Should we reduce aid for certain social benefits to increase NATO’s budget, as requested by the Organization’s member countries? “NATO is not necessarily part of the solution. I think it’s really serious what’s happening today. On the one hand, we have a European economic plan which is announced with new budgetary standards. We are told that we will have to cut health care, that we will have to work longer. And at the same time, we find money to invest in defense and the military. It is not up to the worker to pay for the crisis. We are also facing a major social crisis in Belgium and we must first help at this level,” comments Sophie Merckx.

1709139684
#PTB #proPutin #denouncing #double #standards #international #politics #defends #Sophie #Merckx