may win the presidential election. In the east, deeply flawed referenda are allowing Russia to tighten its trip on the region. Real wages and communal services are under attack. Ultra-nationalist propaganda and organisations, are support unity, both east and west, there's a threat of fragmentation and civil war. Putin, a war criminal who stands comparison with Bush and responsible for this. Despite this, seeds sown now will flourish in the future. The challenge for us is to offer solidarity with progressive activists in east and west Ukraine, and in Crimea, to connect them. We need to bring them abroad, to find better ways to work together and to resolve the left's confusion. Obstacles There are substantial barriers. The working class in Ukraine suffered massively from the restoration of capitalism. Many progressive groups remain disorganised and lack confidence. Even well-organised workers in Ukraine's mines, many of which are illegal, face harsh struggles. Like the rigged referenda, the fragmented nationalist movements largely reflect the friends, and enemies, of the Russian oligarchs. In this context the far sightedness and courage of the anarchist and socialist left, and of the Tartar people, is humbling and inspiring. The western left lacks those redeeming features. Much of the left has seen the crisis only as one of national selfdetermination. Others made the greater error of seeing the Russian nationalist sentiment inspired by Putin as an anti-fascist force, without understanding its uneven nature.
Ukraine faces a reactionary wave Solidarity flourishing. Although most Ukrainians
jousting. Blair, and the kleptocracy he heads are
groups. Others are so blinded by the threat of EU austerity that they cannot see the dangers of Russification. Only by bringing the voices of Ukrainians to the world can the workers movement defeat one-sided attempts to bend the struggles in Ukraine into mere props for political A first step is the building of direct links in the independent workers movements. A speaker from the Left Opposition has toured Scotland and England; there's also support for a tour by the Autonomist Workers Union. Many unions are working to develop their ties with independent unions in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Socialist Solidarity campaign was launched on 12 May at a meeting in the British parliament sponsored by John McDonnell, MP from the Labour Party. The first action of the solidarity campaign will be a picket in support of the Kryviy Rih miners at the London headquarters of the EVRAZ corporation, their employer. Protests will also be organised at the Russian Embassy and the offices of the European Union to demand cancellation of the Ukrainian government's debt and for an end to the austerity measures that are being implemented at the behest of the International Monetary Fund. Around the world, readers should build links independent of the state unions with socialist, trade union, anarchist and other progressive A major task remaining is to allow progressive Ukrainians to speak to the world in their own voice. One small part of that is to ask our supporters to donate to International Viewpoint, which translates the voices of workers and our allies around the world.