Trump–Putin axis betrays Ukraine – Occupation is not peace

A Declaration of the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign Conference, which held its Annual General Meeting on December 6th in London.

The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign reaffirms its unwavering support for the Ukrainian people in their courageous resistance to Russian aggression, which began in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale invasion in February 2022. Against formidable odds, and despite being denied the full international assistance they deserve, Ukraine has prevented Russia from achieving its objective: the complete subjugation and destruction of the Ukrainian nation, state, and sovereignty.

At a time when Ukraine, despite the immense pressures of nearly four years of all-out war, continues to mount robust resistance and has launched a remarkable air campaign against Russian production, we unequivocally condemn attempts to betray Ukraine by imposing a plan approved by Trump.

We reject the notion that the so-called 28-point plan—drafted in part by the Russian regime and presented by the United States—can serve as any basis for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine or Europe.

Most Ukrainians rightly condemned these schemes as acts of capitulation and betrayal. Trump’s proposed plan would see Russia—backed by its silent partner China—and the United States treating Ukraine as assets to be divided. This amounts to neo-colonial plunder disguised as sovereignty: it entrenches Russian occupation, excludes the occupied from governance, and blocks any possibility of reversing Russia’s conquests.

The danger of a Washington–Moscow rapprochement goes beyond profiteering by American and Russian oligarchs. The US reactionary right shares key ideas and goals with Putin’s Russia, forming an axis that extends across Europe supporting fascist and authoritarian forces.

Washington’s scheming, led by nepotistically picked investor vultures—i.e, Kushner and Witkoff—has faltered for now, confronted by the reality that Moscow seeks not peace but victory, and is prepared to wage a prolonged war, confident it can outlast international support for Ukraine.

The threat to Ukraine and global democracy is deepened by the failure of European states to face the reality of Trump’s deception. Many have accepted the sham that Trump had pivoted against Putin and would act in Ukraine’s interests. In doing so, European leaders have offered excuses and accommodations to Trump’s plans—attempting, like alchemists, to transform them into something they can never be: measures in support of a free Ukraine.

By accommodating Trump, factions of both capital and labour within European governments have weakened democracy in the face of growing internal threats from fascist and authoritarian forces. They have legitimised a strategy that undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty, emboldens Russia, and delayed autonomous European action that could effectively help Ukraine resist aggression and secure a just peace.

The Trump–Putin Axis of Reaction

Since February 2025, Washington has sought to coerce Ukraine into accepting terms that reward the invader, partition the country, and consolidate Russian occupation.

1. U.S. aid to Ukraine was halted, replaced by profiteering weapons sales to NATO that provide only a fraction of Ukraine’s needs.
2. Intelligence sharing crucial for early warnings of Russian missile attacks was suspended in early March for two months, then restored with restricted access—resulting in significant casualties and emboldening Russia.
3. Promised “ruinous sanctions” never materialised; the Sanctioning Russia Act lies dormant.
4. The Alaska summit in August handed the Kremlin a victory, replaying the appeasement script of the 1930s.
5. This strategic realignment with Russia has normalised an indicted war criminal and dismantled pressure against the regime.
6. New sanctions to punish Russia’s war of conquest have vanished, justice for war crimes has been abandoned, and the burden of ending the war has been shifted from the perpetrator to the victim.

We reject Trump and Putin’s lie of inevitable Ukrainian defeat or imminent frontline collapse. The difficulties Ukraine faces are manufactured by the failure of others to provide necessary aid. These narratives are intended to demoralise resistance and camouflage betrayal.

The Stakes Are High

If a ‘peace’ is imposed that rewards invasion, it will strengthen fascist and authoritarian forces globally, accelerate the drive to future wars, and fuel nuclear proliferation. Putin has already unleashed four wars during his rule; the same imperialist and counter-revolutionary factors that drove Russia to war will remain, with reaction strengthened within Russia. Against this, we express solidarity with those persecuted in Russia who oppose the invasion of Ukraine.

The British and European labour movement must not be passive observers of this Trump–Putin axis. We must provide an alternative, not accept a false choice manufactured by Trump.

The alternative to betrayal is to change the balance of forces with Russia and restore freedom of choice and self-determination to Ukraine.

Our Demands

As the official campaign of labour movement solidarity with Ukraine, we demand:

1. Opposition to Trumpist Reaction
   Recognise Trump’s alignment with Putin as a threat to progress and democracy. The European labour movement must campaign for stronger international cooperation, rallying all working-class and progressive forces to call for the urgent provision of military and financial support to ensure Ukraine can act freely, without coercion or reliance on the USA.
2. Aid to Ukraine
   Launch an urgent programme to re-arm Ukraine with all necessary weapons, prioritising Ukraine over pre-existing commitments with foreign entities, and mobilise and facilitate volunteers to assist the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To fundamentally shift the balance of power against Russian imperialism, restore frontline confidence, strengthen military capabilities, and reject any loss of sovereignty.
3. Economic Measures
   Frozen Russian assets should be transferred to Ukraine, its international debt cancelled, and full sanctions imposed on Putin’s regime and his oligarchs. UK companies must be barred from operating in Russia, trading with Russian firms, or purchasing Russian-made goods, with public contracts ended for those operating in Russia. Where governments fail, the labour movement must lead campaigns to boycott the Russian regime.
4. Justice for War Crimes
   Establish international mechanisms for accountability for Russia’s war crimes, including the crime of aggression, genocide, and ecocide—justice must be served. Abducted Ukrainian children must be returned, and perpetrators brought to justice. Any amnesty for war crimes is a betrayal.
5. Reconstruction of Ukraine
   Support a progressive, socially just reconstruction of Ukraine with full democratic participation, empowering trade unions and civil society. Withdraw the proposed Labour Code that curtails workers’ rights and end any British Labour Party or Government assistance to those pursuing regressive reforms. All human rights enshrined in Ukraine’s constitution must be guaranteed by appropriate and adequately financed policies: housing, education, healthcare, labour, safe environment, and beyond.
6. Reverse Foreign Aid Cuts
   Ukraine’s defence should be financed by seizing Russian assets, taxing billionaires and corporations, and reversing cuts to foreign aid. Full support must also be provided to victims of Russian aggression, including the rescue and rehabilitation of children from occupation.

We condemn those sections of the labour movement who promote the false image of Trump as a credible peacemaker, who betray the left by refusing to stand with Ukraine, and who, by opposing aid, assist Kremlin objectives.

The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign declares: Occupation is not peace. With or without a deal manufactured by Putin and Trump, we will continue to campaign for Russian Troops Out and for a Free and United Ukraine—free from oligarchs and occupiers.