from Some anarchists from Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans via email
A statement in support of Solidarity Collectives and ABC-Belarus has been published on the internet, signed by a number of groups and individuals. https://www.solidaritycollectives.org/en/on-silencing-voices-from-eastern-europe-at-anarchist-events-in-eu/
We are publishing our response, which is not, however, a dialogue with these open and covert supporters of militarism. We simply want to share our analysis publicly and strengthen the connection between people with an anti-militarist and revolutionary defeatist perspective.
(note: Other language versions will be published below this statement!) / English / Ελληνικά / Românesc / Magyarul / Česky / Slovensky / yкраїнський / Русский / Español / Português / Français / Italiano / Dutch / Viimeistele / Deutsch /
The statement to which we are responding was written by supporters of the war, who reproduce a binary narrative for this purpose: empathetic and supportive Eastern European anarchists versus arrogant and unsupportive anarchists from Western Europe. This narrative is false and manipulative. Those who share this narrative refuse to acknowledge that criticism of pro-war projects such as Solidarity Collectives and ABC (Belarus) also exists within the anarchist milieu in Eastern Europe. The signatories of the statement ignore this anti-militarist tendency in their narrative or lie when they claim that these are Putinists or pro-Russian propagandists. They repeatedly claim that the "Eastern European voice" is overlooked in Western Europe, while they themselves overlook anti-militarist and anti-war voices from Eastern European regions. It should be added that these overlooked voices also come from a relatively large number of people directly from the war zone. By this we mean not only anarchist collectives, but also other working-class people who refuse to support the war efforts of "their" and neighboring states. Let's look at how many people have deserted from the Russian and Ukrainian armies and how many people in both countries are avoiding mobilization(1). Hundreds of thousands of people are ignored by this "radical left" that tells us it represents the voices of Eastern Europe and fights against the arrogance of the West. Their binary narrative is hypocritical. The contradiction is not between anarchists from the West and those from the East. There is only a contradiction between the revolutionary and counterrevolutionary tendencies, which exist in all regions.
We quote from their statement: “They are writing various kinds of “statements” condemning work in support of Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion.”
We respond: We do not condemn resistance to the Russian invasion. We are not even opposed to armed struggle, as long as it does not replicate militaristic logic and is directed against states and their armies. However, we reject the strategy of conventional warfare and militaristic forms of struggle. From an anarchist perspective, resistance to the aggressive policies of one state (e.g., Russia) should not be a practical service in the defense of another state (e.g., Ukraine). We support autonomous resistance against Putinism and Russian imperialism, but also against the Zelensky regime and EU/NATO imperialism. This is anarchist resistance against war.
We quote from their statement: “We believe in the need for dialogue on controversial issues.”
We respond: They have long presented themselves as "experts in monologue", but suddenly they pretend to be interested in dialogue. This is not at all convincing. People who deliberately avoid face-to-face dialogue, slander anarchists(2), engage in dangerous doxxing(3), and are verbally and physically aggressive(4) are collaborating on these projects. Some signatories also pressure other groups to prevent anti-militarists from attending anarchist events(5) or directly participate in sabotaging anti-militarist activities(6). We believe that the call for dialogue is a manipulative political calculation in this context. They want to gain spaces in which they will receive money and resources for soldiers. We believe that they do not want to listen to criticism from their opponents and discuss controversial issues. Anarchists have repeatedly expressed critical analysis of their militaristic and pro-war tendencies in the past. There has been no self-reflection or acknowledgment of mistakes. So why insist on dialogue with them? It cannot be a constructive process.
We quote from their statement: “We do not consider the work of the “Solidarity Collectives” and “ABC-Belarus” to be in any way pro-war or supportive of state militarism.”
We respond: Both of these groups provide propaganda, financial, and material support to the soldiers of the Ukrainian army, which is at war with Russia. Why do the signatories of this statement refuse to acknowledge that the Ukrainian army and its soldiers are the embodiment of state militarism? There is no structure more militaristic than a state army. Why do these people refuse to acknowledge that they are defending a pro-war position when they support soldiers of the state army involved in the war? Is it insincerity, political manipulation, or do they fail to understand the basic context? They claim to be against militarism, but when soldiers desert the Ukrainian army or men in Ukraine are forcibly mobilized, they do not show practical solidarity with these people. They object to Russia's militarism, but the militarism of Ukraine/NATO/EU is their main ally. We refuse to cooperate with them because they advocate cooperation with Western imperialism in its war against Russian imperialism. However, we also do not cooperate with those who cooperate with Russian imperialism, because this is not a constructive strategy that the working class could effectively use against American and European imperialism. We reject all one-sided anti-imperialism. We fight against all imperialist states and blocs.
The list of names and titles under the declaration is very long, but that does not mean it is significant. Socially revolutionary groups do not evaluate the quality of practice by quantitative measures. The number of signatures under a manipulative and deceitful statement does not make it a valuable document. Not even the biggest sum of socially reactionary and pro-war groups can never give rise to revolutionary anarchist practice. The list of signatories to the aforementioned statement includes quite a few liars, manipulators, aggressors, collaborators with the far right(7), as well as dangerous doxxers and nationalists(8). Groups such as Solidarity Collectives and ABC - Belarus discredit themselves by publicly declaring that they maintain contact with these controversial individuals. If they express concern that anarchists do not want to cooperate with them, this is actually a positive sign. While left-wing supporters of militarism are losing support, the revolutionary anarchist tendency is gaining the necessary energy.
- Some anarchists from Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans anarchist_voices@riseup.net
NOTES:
(1) Around 250,000 conscripts left Russia to avoid being forced to fight in the war, and more than 300,000 fled Ukraine. Moreover, in 2024 alone, the Russian war Ministry recorded 50,500 cases of desertion and unauthorized abandonment of a unit in a warring army. https://antimilitarismus.noblogs.org/post/2025/11/22/interview-with-anarcho-syndicalists-from-russia-on-mobilization-and-repression/ Pro-presidential MP Mariana Bezuhla stated on October 11 that the number of personnel who fled the Ukrainian army equaled the total number of personnel that there was before the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. A few days later, crime statistics emerged, showing that twice as many military servicemen had escaped this year than in the first two and a half years of the war. In total, nearly 290,000 criminal cases for SZCh and desertion were opened during the war. From January 2022 to September 2024, there were nearly 90,000 cases. This means that over the past year alone, an additional 200,000 were opened. It is important to underscore that we are not talking about the number of fugitive persons, but only about the number of registered criminal cases. https://libcom.org/article/ukraine-sporadic-resistance-war-first-hotbeds-collective-struggle
(2) - We refute the lies being spread about AMI https://antimilitarismus.noblogs.org/post/2024/05/22/we-refute-the-lies-being-spread-about-ami/ - [Konvulsismo] From Vinnytsia to Berlin https://www.autistici.org/tridnivalka/konvulsismo-from-vinnytsia-to-berlin/ - Клевета Дубовика против КРАС: еще больше вранья, чем казалось https://aitrus.info/node/6243 - Response from the so-called ‘anarcho-putinists’, from some participants from the Prague anti-war congress, May 2024 https://libcom.org/article/response-so-called-anarcho-putinists-some-participants-prague-anti-war-congress-may-2024
(3) - “Anarchists” who forget the principles. Statement by KRAS-IWA https://iwa-ait.org/content/again-about-anarchists-who-forget-principles Za bezpečný prostor bez práskačů a jejich kompliců https://antimilitarismus.noblogs.org/post/2024/11/05/za-bezpecny-prostor-bez-praskacu-a-jejich-komplicu/
(4) - Attack against an anarchist militant https://pocketedition.noblogs.org/post/2025/06/07/atack-against-an-anarchist-militant/ - I will not be intimidated https://lukasborl.noblogs.org/i-will-not-be-intimidated/
(5) - Proč nebude stánek AMI na anarchistickém bookfairu v Brně https://antimilitarismus.noblogs.org/post/2023/10/18/proc-nebude-stanek-ami-na-anarchistickem-bookfairu-v-brne/
(6) - Make Tattoo Not War is canceled // Akce Make Tattoo Not War je zrušena https://actionweek.noblogs.org/post/2024/05/10/akce-make-tattoo-not-war-je-zrusena-make-tattoo-not-war-is-canceled/ - The left of capital is sabotaging the anarchist movement: let’s fight back! https://www.autistici.org/tridnivalka/ami-the-left-of-capital-is-sabotaging-the-anarchist-movement-lets-fight-back/
(7) - Collaboration of pro-war anarchists with the far-right. Masks are off, or the fail of the "anti-authoritarian resistance" myth https://libcom.org/article/collaboration-pro-war-anarchists-far-right-masks-are-or-fail-anti-authoritarian-resistance - Is national dictatorship the goal of unbreakable anarchists? https://antimilitarismus.noblogs.org/post/2025/04/30/is-national-dictatorship-the-goal-of-unbreakable-anarchists/ - Myths and the truth about the enemies of our enemies https://lukasborl.noblogs.org/myths-and-the-truth-about-the-enemies-of-our-enemies/
(8) Here is some footage from the head of a demonstration in Brussels which was co-organized by one of the official signatories of this appeal, Anarchist Collective Antwerp (Belgium) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeYzkjv1CFY In English the slogans which were marched behind are "Glory to the Nation! Death to its enemies!" and "Ukraine above all!" (adopted from 'Deutschland uber alles!"). So yeah, it must be a complete mystery as to why these groups are having so much trouble spreading their ideas at anarchist events...
Comments
As readers of AnarchistNews…
Tim Declercq Sat, 01/31/2026 - 20:27
As readers of AnarchistNews may have noticed, reference 8 of this statement is copied verbatim from a comment of mine on this website (https://anarchistnews.org/comment/84917#comment-84917) and much of the information in reference 7 ultimately also derives from research I have done. As such I just want to state clearly that I distance myself from the authors and publishers of this statement, who I consider to simply be "stealing" my work to pass off as their own, while at the same time they attack me and a comrade of mine through other channels.
hello from greece, i read…
anonymous (not verified) Sun, 02/01/2026 - 10:33
In reply to As readers of AnarchistNews… by Tim Declercq
hello from greece, i read your comments always with great interest.
i confess i don't care so much about people stealing your work but still it is correct to call out when it happens, especially if it is used for purposes you don't agree with. the amount of research you do on these matters is appreciated.
at times i feel bad for the anarcho-militarists because i think there are some good comrades with integrity on the other side of this issue. but unfortunately "anarchists joining military / aligning with fascists" is an important issue and one they are wrong about.
already in 2026 we hear a lot about stronger nato, "defending europe" etc from the newspapers. they are trying to test and gauge the willingness of the young to fight "for europe."
I normally also don't care…
Tim Declercq Sun, 02/01/2026 - 12:41
In reply to hello from greece, i read… by anonymous (not verified)
I normally also don't care about people using my work, but in this case I had contacted the network of people who published and spread this statement (which includes for example the "deserters of capitalist peace" who published it on the athens indymedia) to suggest cooperation and they responded by throwing lies and defamations at me and a comrade of mine, basically just throwing mud, refusing to even provide any evidence or argument to back up their defamations. And in that case I am of course going to distance myself from that particular use of my work. So the problem isn't with people using my work per se, nor with the content of this statement, but with the behaviour of the specific people who published and spread it. If all they can do is attack me then they also have no right to be stealing my work for their own purposes.
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