2022 Wrap-up part 2: The perspective for peace in Ukraine, with Youri Smouter

“On the Barricades” s06e12

Comrades, friends and supporters, this weekend we have a three-part release of “On the Barricades” with host Boyan Stanislavski and our repeat-guest and friend of the show, Youri Smouter of 1+1. Boyan and Youri are doing a wrap-up and reflection on what they view as important trends and processes for the Left in relation to world events of 2022. To paraphrase the philosopher Spinoza, our task is neither to weep, nor to laugh, nor to hate, but understand the processes and actions of historical and political significance that are unfolding around us. We at The Barricade have strived to bring balanced analysis and commentary from a leftist, Eastern-European perspective without getting swept away by liberal hysteria, war-mongering, idealist identity politics, cancel culture, or outright a-historical craze that sweeps the public discourse. We are enthused to continue this project into the new year, staying the course and opening a space for genuine political discussion on the left at a time when it seems media consumers are being prepared, by the powers that be, for ongoing war and confusion, buried under narratives and propaganda more than ever.

In this second of three segments, Boyan and Youri discuss:
2:00 Perspectives on negotiations for peace in Ukraine; whether the annexed territories will go back to Ukraine
5:20 Putin’s apologies for time and resources wasted trying to integrate Russia with the West
11:40 How to end the war taking into account the reality on the table of a partitioned Ukraine
25:55 Russia-China relations and alliance, possibility for exchange of lessons in economics and anti-imperialist policy; between respective communist parties
32:40 Putin’s support in the global south; will Putin pivot left in social-economic policy?
38:02 Significance of any anti-war protests in Russia?