“It doesn’t matter which imperialism [Russian or Western] is stronger or weaker. You can’t pick between these two monsters”: An Interview with Russians Against the War

Russians Against the War (RAW) is a front of Russian socialist and communist activists, organising resistance to the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine. Due to the harsh and authoritarian restrictions the Kremlin have placed on freedom of speech, RAW are forced to conduct their business underground, and to rely on strict anonymity for their own safety. In this interview, members of the front offer an analysis of the economic and social drivers towards war in the Russian Federation itself, the situation of Russian social movements, and the class character of the current conflict. They also point towards what they see as the possibilities for an international anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist movement capable of breaking the horrors of our current impasse.

This interview was conducted by James Bell and Luke Beesley from the Prolekult Films project. Prolekult has been soliciting submissions from Ukrainian and Russian socialist activists and organisers on the impact of the war and their visions for peace and justice. Those submissions, alongside an audio version of this interview, are freely available here.

Please note that these responses were written at the end of March 2022; therefore, statistics used and events described were correct at the time of writing.