Yanis Varoufakis on Irish neutrality, Putin's war crimes and why NATO wants the Ukraine war to go on
Вставка
- Опубліковано 11 тра 2024
- In this video Yanis Varoufakis explains why the people of Ireland should guard Irish neutrality with their lives. He also talks about Putin's war crimes and why NATO wants the war in Ukraine to go on forever.
CONTEXT
In June 2023, the Irish government held a "Consultative Forum on International Security Policy," intended to "open a discussion" about Ireland's policy of neutrality.
On Saturday June 24, 2023, Clare Daly and Mick Wallace hosted an event of international speakers in the Morrison Hotel in Dublin to contest the government's narrative, and urge the defence of Irish neutrality.
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#Ireland #Ukraine #NATO
As an Irish person I consider Ireland being anything other than neutral is an insult to those who have fought for independence from imperialism.
There is no possibility of Ireland ceasing to be neutral, because the deep reasons for its neutrality still exist.
I share your anti-imperialist sentiment, but the moment Ireland ceases to be a divided island, I think all deep reasons for its neutrality cease to exist.
the thing is Ireland has never actually been neutral. It already sends loads of money to Ukraine & was pro allies in WW2 and anti communism/anti russia in cold war. It's myth Ireland has ever been neutral
What a stupid and blinded position but very welcomed by the Russians. Well done. Your neutrality kills innocent children.
I don't think imperialism and neutrality are the same thing
@@borism2766 au contraire. A united Ireland without the British influence will be even more neutral
As an Irishman, I am very proud of the fact that we are a neutral country, and secondly, we don’t even need to not be a neutral country because our geographical positioning as well as our worldwide migrant diaspora means that countries will assist us whether we have alliances with them or not. So there is no need to sign up your foreign policy to somebody else’s decision-making. The Americans would help Ireland. Regardless, the British would help Ireland, regardless, not out of love for Ireland, but because the British couldn’t tolerate an enemy force that close to England. The same with France, never mind, the amount of undersea cables that run off the Irish coast towards North America, its one of the most important pieces of infrastructure in the north, Atlantic and world economy. Ireland literally has no reason to stop being neutral, because they will get all the benefits of an alliance without ever needing to sign up to an alliance.
I wonder, regarding the start of the Ukraine-Russian conflict, if any of you know of the initial acceptance by Zelenski to negotiate Ukraine's neutrality, an offer by Putin, who wishes to see it happen with the removal of Nato troupes as well.
As soon as the US and Britain knew of this, both of them began to promise Zelenski, who is an actor (attention seeker), to send money and weapons, plus a guarantee of victory.
Not for the benefit of Ukraine, but for the benefit of ongoing warfare with Russia.
We see this being put to practice, while many Ukraine citizens and soldiers lose their lives. The battlefield is a mess of often old disfunctional war-machinery in the hands of 17-year old boys, and elderly men. Forced to fight, due to desertion of soldiers who can't see any chance to win from the Russian bear. Ukraine is made use of in a proxy war. Zelenski is stabbed in the back
I love Clare Daly and Nick Wallace. I love the Irish and stand behind you
Irish neutrality is an Irish matter. Everybody else should butt out.
Thank you Yanis for speaking the truth.
Your voice protects our mental health.
So appreciate Yanis Varoufakis
Thank you, Yanis as always you are the voice of sanity.
Yanis, I'm a UK citizen. Despite the criticism I've received and despite our govt doing what the hell it likes to damage Britain making us poorer and their corporate billionaire friends even richer, I have always been neutral. Any government that follows blindly what the US administration expects in terms of foreign policy, is cowardly.
Yanis you are spokesperson for so many of us. love .
Such clarity. Inspiring. Keep it going Yanis.
YASOU from Rhodes, you have our vote.
Thanks Yanis for speaking the truth!
Stay strong stay neutral, great advice Yanis, thanks for taking a stand against the out of control Military Industrial complex
Thank you Yanis
Stay as you are. A nation that is respected.
Now you have brought the subject to this forum I am free to say anything I want about it. Feel free to ignore me or say I am totally wrong.
Well said.
Grandissimo Varoufakis !!!!!! Finalmente una voce che dice le cose così come sono !
Bulgarians have started doing marches for peace. I think the same should be done in other European countries given that we are moving closer towards open conflict with Russia.
Yeah comprising of 5 people the russophiles have been very loud we just ignore them we support Ukraine. What does peace mean it's a great platitude but we need substance
@@rebelmango2141 I don't think we are doing the Ukranians a favor by letting themselves get impaled on Russian defenses. The only solution is negotiations sooner rather than later.
How are we moving towards open conflict with Russia?
Besides the invasion is not justified, that's why we support Ukraine
@@thebeatlol7592 It made sense to support them militarily early in the war but now as the war drags Ukraine's future becomes more and more insecure. I don't see how Ukraine is going to fight this war and be victorious without nato intervention. They want nato membership and we give them cluster munitions because we don't have enough conventional ones. This is akin to performing assisted suicide. If we take this logic to its end then we will eventually have to send trained soldiers to Ukraine after we exhausted all other viable forms of military aid. The solution was to have negotiations early in the conflict when the Russian military bogged down and had to retreat.
These marches will sure impress the Kremlin. The nativity on thus conflict here is astounding.
Powerful speech, sir, so hits the nail on the head. When rich men fall out, poor men die, Carpe dem. 😢
I read once: Only within the special idiot groups you will find people who address their stupid leaders "sir" in the internet without speaking to them directly.
But he suggests that African immigants should have easy way to EU
@@naszadynastia Idiots admire idiots. Was always like that, will always be like it.
naszadynastia So whom do you admire sir?
@naszadynastia I could create a long list of people that I admire. Yanis is a voice of reason in a mad world? As regards the African immigrants, are not most of the European countries responsible for the state of some of the countries in Africa. We have created this problem, and we supply aid for food, which ends up being spent on arms, creating conflict, and who profits in the end, the people who make arms. 🤔 Conflict creates refugees they move somewhere where there is no conflict. It's a vicious circle. Why don't we love our fellow humans? Because of capitalism and manipulation by corporations and governments we are afraid we will lose what we have to them, in essence the world has enough money for all to live in harmony but some chosse not to distribute it fairly and take care of there own vested interests. George Orwell, Charles Dickings, Cliff High, Nicola Tesler, Russel Brand, Elizabeth Barret Browning, Jeremy Corbin, Leonardo Da Vinchi, John Lennon, James Blunt. These are just a few of the people I admire. I'm knocking on in years and haven't got enough time left to complete this list. There are so many influences over the years, and the dog needs feeding, so I'd better go.❤️🤔
Thank you, Yanis Varoufakis for having brains cells working still in you brain.❤
The two brain cells he has are again not enough to put up a workable argument 1.
Damn it, i`m moving to Ireland!
I have been there for several years and ireland is known as 51-st state of usa. They are far from neutral. They just like to present themselves so. They adore usa and they will always obey them and be their colony.
@@DV-dt9sq Ok, now that doesn`t sound so good.
@@DV-dt9sq spot on. Look how we fawned over Biden! Look how we facilitate the corporates: big pharma n giant tech corporations. Ireland has been bought and carved up long ago.
@@DV-dt9sqthat love is mutual. There is a big Irish lobby in the US. At the moment they love Ireland more than the UK😂
@@DV-dt9sq I do not love the u.s. many of us do not. No to NATO always
good shit Yanis
said it all. and well said
Awesome 👍🖖✊️
I would love to see a special on jens stolsenberg
Great man!
Love foor irland
Very good!
THANK YOU
Ireland lost its neutrality when they allowed US military aircraft to stop over and Shannon Airport en route to Iraq.
lol you just reminded me that I *have* been to Ireland 😂
Your wrong it was a Goverment decision hotly disputed by the Irish people
Great video 👍
grtx from ireland btw. even if i am only resident, not a "real citizen". lol.
This neutrality should be hotly debated, given the Irish penchant for political debates. The key is to not let any misgivings lie festering underneath the matrix of his neutralty that is finally agreed upon as a political and moral position.
The reason being the apologists of empire waiting in the shadows to sow the seeds of discord once again over the quiescent isle.
Ireland is already faced with massive corruption of state institutions so on every practical metric Ireland would be an incredibly weak link in nato or an eu army. Moreover our neutrality, such as it is, has never prevented us from engaging properly in the un in its peacekeeping operations and recent events in ireland at a certain conference means that mentioning any change to our neutrality is just a way to save face with the usa and eu political elites which our own are ultimately beholden to. the cock-up of brexit and the fact that the eu will never understand the irish-uk situation will mean that, thankfully, we will be in a grey area. Ireland, like Greece, can always play its long rich history, culture and its small size to its advantage.
What exactly do you mean by "the cock-up of brexit and the fact that the eu will never understand the irish-uk situation ". Brexit was a British cock-up and Britain has always misunderstood their relationship with Ireland. What ever happened to that oven ready baloney? the EU understands the situation all too well, and much to the surprise of every high and mighty little Englander, they steadfastly and fully backed the Irish, standing against the UK government who wanted to throw Ireland under the proverbial bus.
You appear to be prone to exaggeration or else you have another agenda, "massive corruption" Ireland has some corruption but it most certainly is not massive actually Ireland thankfully is probably one of the least corrupt countries in the world.
Brexit is a British project infact Ireland has gained considerably from brexit it has even brought Irish unification closer and the EU understands the Irish/UK situation perfectly it stood firmly by the Belfast Agreement principles in the brexit negotiations when the UK were attempting to water them down to suit their own nationalist agenda.
There is no fear of Irish neutrality it is an essential and central component of the Irish state and the vast majority of Irish people young and old support it.
Railroad...Commonwealth...hmm. Where have I heard this before?
Thank you from an Irish man. Neutrality to us means not being associated with the British militarily. It is treasonous for the Irish to join nato, a European army without Britain is a different story. The EU is finished anyway.
It's not to do with being associated with the Brits, it's that our past as victims of Imperialism and protests to the draft of WW1 which we loudly said was a pointless war between empires where they sent their weakest to die as a result of MILITARY ALLIANCES and a military industrial complex instilled the revolutionaries with support for neutrality. Those people passed it down and it became obvious as to why this was a good idea throughout the insanity of the cold war, but the influence of American media and EU policy is making us forget one of the only things the entire country agreed on and one of the only principles of the revolution that the establishment parties didn't reverse. I wonder how many members of Fianna Gael and Fianna Fáil will be investing in Raytheon and Lockheed Martin in the coming months or years.
I remember when Brezit people said the EU is finished still waiting
@@TheAnthraxBiologyshouldn't being a victim of Imperialism make you want to help another victim of Imperialism or is it everyone for themselves
@@TheAnthraxBiologyNo, Dev made sure we stayed neutral during ww2, why did he do that? 1916-1922 maybe. After ww2 Ireland was treated like shit by the west, that's why the troubles lasted so long. Irish politicians don't own shares in the IMC, they are controlled by it, as is every other Irish institution.
I think the west should pull out. See what Russia and China do. It will be a never ending war. In the end it will be Russia and China at war so they rule all of the land. So let’s all be neutral and watch these dictators do what they do. As soon as NATO is gone and not coming back it will be Nuke heaven. If you don’t think it will happen then your naive.
When ukraine was given its indipendence by Yeltsin in 1990 ,ukrainian politicians should have declared ukraine a neutral state
Yeltsin was their Tsar? And those people were his serfs? You do not give freedom to people, people take it.
If you are not aware, then their statehood was based on a neutral status and the Russian language. Now their status is ordinary puppets of the USA.
Oh sure. That really worked well throughout history didn't it ? Invaders being thugs don't care if you are neutral !
Actually Ukraine was a neutral state and the Ukrainians were against nato membership.
That was before Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea and occupied parts of Donbas. Usually countries are no longer neutral when they get attacked. The reason for that is obvious.
Zelensky offered neutrality just before Russia’s latest invasion. Russia was not interested. It wanted to negotiate with America to give Ukraine to them.
Neutrality, nato membership. Russian stories for the west. Little to do with Putin’s ambitions.
Except that nato is a block to his imperialistic ambitions.
@@ivanbrezina7632Of course not. Yeltsin and the other leaders dissolved the Soviet Union because they wanted power for themselves and Yeltsin wanted to get rid of Gorbachev. That was a real coup.
But it gave countries the opportunity to become independent so it was a good thing.
I think it was a careless reasoning born out of ignorance or it is a specific Russian spin. That is possible too.
Is there a longer video? More of this please!
I suggest you find Colonel Doug McGregor's YT channel, with factual reports about the present warzones and history of how past events have lead to the present day conflicts, and warfare.
Bravo signor tutto che dive e vero 🧐
The British tried to send Irish people off to die in World War 1 - a war caused by military alliances and war profiteering - and so understanding this as well as being victims of imperialism, our ancestors made neutrality a cornerstone of the revolutionary program. It became even more important in WW2 and the Cold War and it has been one of the only things that has always united us as has our hatred for colonialism - that's why we are so pro-Palestine. But as always the government is out of touch with the people and since 2001 has permitted US planes to land in Shannon which was the first step, then in 2016 forced us to join PESCO and stepped up the missions we were in, and since 2022 they've been trying to stir up fear of Russia - the European country furthest from us. More people are in favour of joining NATO than ever before but they're a minority and have definitely waned throughout 2023. ALL of this is being done without the consultation of the people.
Ireland could not join NATO without a referendum but a referendum is unlikely to happen as the vast majority of Irish people would reject NATO membership and the powers to be know this.
If that was the opinion of the whole Irish people you would be in government. Distrust people who tell you that they are speaking for “the people”. People’s are divided and have different opinions on a lot of things.
Very good report!
We do not need armies!
Yanis you are a true star rarely found these days. You are obviously not out to serve any donor thrrefore you are free to express your mind.
I follow a satire news paper here in Ireland called the Waterford Whisper and they ran an article titled something like "Vote now for that unjust nato war your kids should die in"
Who is left to listen to reason?
Thank you for your words . I as a a swede feel embarrassed and shameful by my countrys politicians that have decided to
Push Sweden into joining nato . Without even asking the Swedish people first / declaring a referendum.
They would have voted to join… Sweden has been working with NATO for decades now so they weren’t truly neutral.
OH MY GOD▪︎▪︎▪︎ NOT EVEN THE COURT --- ORDER IS DEMOCRATIC
NO??▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎ 🙄 😑 😒 😐 👌.......🤣 WE SEE!!▪︎▪︎▪︎
YES WE SEE IT'S FROM THE COPYRIGHT!!▪︎▪︎▪︎ OF NETANYAHU'S SPEECH 2018▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎PART SAYS▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
"CERTAIN COUNTRIES WERE CHOSEN TO DEAL WITH OTHER COUNTRIES"▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎🙄 😒 😉 😑..... 🤣
《■WHAT DO WE SAY NOW??■》
as woke as a swede gets
@@raquetdude you don't know that and no one will. If that were the case why not just have the referendum?
@@nataliekhanyola5669 there is always a chance that people would vote to stay out. For that reason it makes sense to not risk having a referendum. Questions can be asked in a various ways... If for example somebody asked Swedes: do you want Russian nukes closer and aimed at Stockholm, they might have said no.
great video
Yannis I Admire you.
yanis your not telling the people - chatham house signed off the rebuild of ukraine in 2018 - its the brits who want it flattened to build it back ... same thing as bosnia etc etc what about the people well population control obviously
NATO should have been dissolved in '89, when the Soviet union broke up, like the Warsaw Pact was. That would've avoided Putin's invasion.
That would be a truely fundamental position.
It would have meant the former Warsaw pact members would have had no protection against Putin. What color is the sky in your world?
If Nato were not in the Eastern block states now russia would of taken them back through invasion russia have invaded every neighbour that are not in Nato
Ireland must stay true to its Neutral stance . Than be forced to join in group of nations who will drag us into wars
Not of our making . The present Irish Goverment is trying too. Yet Irish People say No No were forNeutrality not war
Strangely Sweden was neutral in WW2
It has been for 200 years. So was Ireland
Yeah as Ireland you can easily stay neutral with the whole of nato between you and Russia. Ask someone from the Baltic states how feasible that is and what the alternative is. They have experienced that alternative. Ireland is a free rider. They are welcome but that is what they are.
Oh and I do understand why Ireland does not join. It is hard to join a military alliance with a country that still occupies a part of your country after a long colonial past. You have to settle border conflicts and that means giving up Northern Ireland officially. That is too much, I would not have done that either.
So they have to wait for Irish unification for that.
Ελλαδα Ελληνικη και κοσμος ΑΩ
I'm sitting on an irish fence. The idea of neutrality is nice, but I think it's only nice if nobody is knocking on your door.
Ireland has no effective military defence, losing staff every year to retirement without replacing, has no naval defense to protect our waters and no airforce to protect our skies.
Which is all fine, if everything in the world is fine. But it's not..
Well said, we all need to stand up when a fellow human being is in need. Russia has been bulling Ukraine since 2014. If country’s had stood up to Putin then Ukraine wouldn’t be losing life’s everyday.
@@johnchase7096it is nazi ukraine and colonial invader NATO who provoked russia to attackb
@@johnchase7096 Pure uninformed rubbish. The legitimate Ukrainian government was illegally replaced by the current puppets, whose sole purpose was to goad Russia into war, with the intention of crushing it. You are just parroting propaganda, with no historical legitimacy. Do some homework, and turn off the tv
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucha_massacre
@bettinazwerdling9158 Ah yes, the 'Russian massacre' in Ukraine where everyone died in the middle of the street, three metres apart, so the TV camera van would have to zig-zag slowly through them. "40 seconds. That's enough. CUT!!"
Thanks Yanis but I think you romanticize our neutrality a bit.
As a Serb I invite you to fight for your freedom - if you don't, nobody else will. One thing I think the west could do more of is having collective historical memory. This is what holds the east strong - remember, there is a reason why the Eastern Roman Empire outlived the Western Roman Empire. Historia magistra vitae est :)
As a Serb you were more fighting against the lives and the very existence and the freedom of others. Your desire for a greater Serbia caused a lot of problems.
As a Serb I would stay silent. Denk aan Srebrenica.
I stand with you. Don't listen to them running dogs of the US.
@@arjan2777❤
@@arjan2777 Clearly an Albanian 😂😂😂
@@abraxadabra4224 No Dutch. We remember Srebrenica
👍
You're correct on the EU, but walking a fine line in advocating for regime change for Russia while at the same time defending the sovereignty of other states more morally aligned with a near-impossible vision of a common European Union that would require even greater and more pressing regime change, but from the grassroots. That's moral relativism on your part. For those of us from the Global South, and particularly those who have watched over 6 million of our people murdered since 2001 (see 'When Death Outlives War' from Brown University) at the behest of the NATO cabal, the charge of war crimes is hollow, especially insofar as the ICC has only ever been used to punish Global South regimes to facilitate further capitalist plundering and hypocritical violations of sovereignty, given these regimes were put in place by said NATO cabal, just as Putin was created by the United States and European neoliberals post-Yeltsin, as you yourself admit. Be careful Yannis, this is not Putin's war, and pushing to arrest the man only plays into the very same hands of the NATO cabal you ostensibly oppose...
Well put, thanks.
This is just nonsense not based in reality "NATO cabal" "Putin created by US and European neoliberalism" it's a good story but one based in reality or fact Putin is a cold war child molded by Soviet education. This is Putin's war he started it fueled by his fascist worldview he didn't ",play into the hands of the cabal" this is just excusing Imperialism and war of aggression conspiracy
Not sure of your logic there. Where does Yanis even talk about arresting Putin? But either way how exactly does the fact that Putin was created by the 'neoliberals' give any reason for us to sympathise with his actions? Those at the top of the global political scene are all morally reprehensible, more or less all war criminals and should all be locked up together. As far as I see it these things come back to bite the West because the West is constantly supporting authoritarian leaders who it thinks it can control by coercion, and then the West is pretty happy when those same dictators resist too much because it offers a nice chance for a war and all the associated economic opportunities. Look at Gaddafi, Saddam...even al Qaeda... but there is no side you can choose because they were all scumbags too. Until the West starts supporting movements based not on their utility to the West but genuinely based on the human rights we will just be sowing the seeds of destruction and then carpet bombing the crops that germinate.
Which is a very America centric worldview. Russia made choices and Putin is not an American invention. Surely Europe and the US could have made better choices but what happened in Russia is their, Russian, responsibility.
Russia is a big country with huge natural resources and it was not occupied or something like that. It had all the opportunities to make itself into something better but it failed. Even as an autocracy.
China showed that even a communist autocracy can get results and it did make itself into something after Mao made a mess of things. Russia could have done similar things. Nobody was stopping them except their own incompetence and corruption.
We bought their energy and what did they do with all that money? They bought the Tory party and that is a bad investment.
Russia is Russia’s fault. They have mainly themselves to blame.
@@arjan2777you are so right. It's so sad when people think that the whole 140 million nation has nothing to do with the situation. They are trying to avoid the responsibility.
Dear Varoufakis ,i agree 100% with you in almost everything you defend. However, for being informed choice supporters , we will loose this civizational war. I also think that the sexual gender discussion is dispersing the left from the really meaninful causes and making us loose many activists. Being pragmatic is responding to the majority's problems . Anyway , with love from Portugal !
How can leftist activists who don't want to support the lgbtq "minority" be really a part of the left? This criticism only serves the homophobes, transphobes and conservatives. The lgbtq is here *now* and needs help. There will never be a "right time", where there aren't any more important issues for the left to tackle
Irish are not in ,NATO but are in EU and with USA hand in glove.all major USA companies are full of irish-I mean they are 100%covered by USA protection
As a British citizen I was not in favour of Brexit and voted to remain in Europe three years ago. I would not do the same today. The entire European economic and political project is a largely undemocratic, neo-liberal and increasingly militaristic project, and it is a vassal of the US military-industrial complex. The concerns and well-being of ordinary European people are very low priorities for our mostly unelected Euro overlords.
Asif the UK wasn't a puppet of the US and also, Brexit was a huge economic disaster that has the UK in decline.
The EU is a treaty between countries. You can join it or you can leave it but it has nothing to do with sovereignty exactly because you can join or leave it. Scotland lost its sovereignty and now it must beg London for a referendum if it wants it back. The UK had to ask nobody for Brexit.
Also the UK had the best of both worlds. It had access to the common markets and loads of opt outs for things it did not like. It will never get a deal as good as it had
Irish neutrality is fine long as they stop being reliant on British/European defence for their seas and air. Sweden, Finland, Switzerland had incredibly advanced militaries Ireland hasnt…
You speak as if NATO is constantly patrolling the Irish seas and air. British/European military operations in Irish sea and air (which has happened on only a few occasions over the decades and is ignored by the Irish) is done for the strategic interests of NATO and has nothing to do with as you imply the defence of Ireland. German and Italian military regularly overfly neutral Austria and the Italian military conduct military operations over and around neutral Malta. Ireland is not unique in having military incursions over neutral territory.
The Irish people have no interest in the imperial shenanigans of NATO, Russia or China. Ireland has little interest in acquiring expensive high tech weaponry because there are far better things to spend hard earned wealth on.
Ireland is a small wealthy country but no matter how much it spends on defence it will still just have a relatively small military incapable of defending itself in open war against a large military power so why bother with futile expenditure? but in saying that God help any invading force that would be naive enough to set foot on Irish soil as a previous superpower found out to it's cost.
@@fitzstv8506Well said. There are NO International navies and air forces defending Ireland.
Anyone who says so is spreading a dangerous lie.
Dwight Eisenhower warned the world about the existence and growth of The Military Industrial Complex.
I would appear that no one was listening.
We still have the island of Britain helping to perpetuate the aberrant colonised statelet of the six Northeastern counties of County Ulster on the island of Ireland.
What modern western country, NATO or otherwise has EVER helped Ireland in its historical and modern travails with Britain?
Imagine a world where there is no support for Ukraine and all EU countries are neutral. Putin would simply walz over it. Exactly what Hitler abused. Europe was neutral. I respect you but your speech disregards history. Neutrality is something only few countries can afford in the face of true war. Ireland is a small country with low risk of attack other than being utterly defeated in no time. Poland cannot stay neutral. Austria can only act neutral and not run a big risk because of its location and the non neutrality of countries around them and having no fear of conflict.
false, Putin isnt Hitler and isnt expanding for territory. he is defending Russian people. moreover, he restrained Russia for 8 years after the illegal US coup in Ukraine started Ukraine on the road to joining NATO and putting nuclear weapons on Russia's border. Putin waited for the west to implement the Minsk Agreements to protect Russian minority language and culture, but it turns out the agreements were falsely signed on purpose.
What a load of codswallop
@@stephencunningham6557what an intelligent argument
@@arjan2777 Codswallop is codswallop. Putin has been seeking a common security architecture for years. That doesn't fit US remit.
@@stephencunningham6557 Because we know what Putin’s idea of common security is. The Eastern European countries have suffered from soviet Russian occupation for decades and we are not giving them back to KGB rule.
They are so happy they joined nato when they had the chance. Ukraine proves it
Russia has all the security it needs. It is a big country with nuclear weapons. Other countries need security from Russia and nato is providing it.
Remember that is what Putin demanded just before his last invasion, that nato would cast away members giving them up to Putin’s mercy. He has none
He has a good argument and then just go to push it too far away. And finish talking from pretty extreme point of view.
Good to see the Europeans trying to have a serious discussion about protecting themselves. I would love nothing more for my country to pull every American troop and close all our bases in Europe and around the world. I'm sure you all can handle if from here. The only area I would caution any consideration of war with Russia is that the day a German tank moves through Ukraine into Russian territory will ensure the weather forecast in Berlin will be 1000 degrees and cloudy. The battle of Stalingrad will never be forgotten by the Russian people. As my deranged neo-con government just authorized cluster munitions for Z, will Europe say no thanks? Best to choose a path to peace. Yanis is brilliant!
Can we afford to say no thanks? I don’t think so.
Also we can not have an independent European defense without a strong and independent Ukraine free from Russian occupiers.
It is so sad. As a teacher, I would like to work in Spain. Because of "opposicion", I cannot. This is an internal testing systems which allows young academic to enter work life after have a positive result in the "opposicion". I know, that my knowledge, experience, also knowledge of Spanish is good enouth to work as English teacher in Spain. I am also a German teacher. I have the EU papers to work as a teacher the EU.
I remember the first time I saw a catalogue. It was winter at a time called Christmas. And I saw alllll these boxes, so many boxes of useless things called imagination. And there was nothing interesting about that. Nothing interesting, at all. I saw prison. I saw the entrapment. The debt. The never getting ahead. The lack of human development in it. What was interesting was that my mind saw through it immediately.
That is a wonderful, meaningful and important insightful comment. Keep writing down your insights.
@@christinequinn5355 thank you. Did you know the origin word for shopping is ‘prison.’ Mighty ignorant. When I learned that I never turned back.
What percent of GDP is Ireland spending on their defense industry?
Same for Switzerland and Austria?
I used AI, but assume the figures are correct.
According to the World Bank, Ireland spent 0.22511% of its GDP on defense in 2022.
According to the World Bank, Austria spent 0.77261% of its GDP on defense in 2022.
According to the World Bank, Switzerland spent 0.76465% of its GDP on defense in 2022.
So the less they spend on defense the better for their economy. And their defense is provided by everyone else. Thanks Ireland, Austria, Switzerland.
All of Europe strives to kick usa out but we can't even speak about this because we communicate on their platform. Vast majority gets shadowbanned.
Hello from Vienna, Austria! The core of neutrality (besides our neighbors in the west) in central Europe... Indeed Austrian neutrality is based on the constitution, and the "Staatsvertrag" (contract of state). 1955 was the year when the last Soviet troops left the country, due to the signing of this document. So, basically it was that Stalin insisted on a "buffer" - state... So, here we are now. At least my son won't be recruited for such a nonsense-army of the EU... 4 now. Who knows, where we all are going to be led... Towards a "better" future, so they say🤔
Ah yes, the neutral Austria. Sending military to train their soldiers, sending weapons to support their war. So very very neutral.
@@CamTracey I know you're right, sad... but true
@@CamTracey Ukraine was a neutral country before Russia attacked it in 2014 and it still offered neutrality to prevent the last invasion.
@@arjan2777 Ukraine signed up for a plan to join NATO in Bukharest in 2008 losing its neutrality.
Slava Ukraini
Chechnya would be another Ucraine on the hands of NATO. Hard, but Putin had to act.
Ursula will be removed now
Academic research in 2016-2018, showed IFSC Section 110 SPVs are largely unregulated,[24][25] operating like brass plate companies with low supervision from the Revenue or the Central Bank of Ireland.[26] It showed Section 110 SPVs were used by sanctioned/prohibited Russian banks.[27][28][29] A June 2017 study published in Nature listed Ireland as one of the global Conduit OFCs which use SPVs to route funds to tax havens.[30] In March 2018, the Financial Stability Forum showed SPVs had made Ireland the 3rd largest Shadow Banking OFC.[31] In June 2018, tax academics showed Ireland was the world's largest tax haven.[32][33][34][35]
Irish Section 110 Special Purpose Vehicle
Ireland are correct to stay neutral for two reasons. the first is why would you allow the yanks and their lackeys, the Brits to decide whom Irish soldiers would fight and the second reason is we know that if we need them they will turn up. The Brits because of GUILT! and the Yanks, GRATITUDE! so there two good reasons to stay neutral. there is in fact no downside at all.
Clarity. Paraphrasing Parnell: no man (no cloud capitalist) shall have the right to say thus far shall social Justice, Liberty and human Equality go and no further."
I'm not a Putin LOVER but i do like him. But now i like him a LOT less after hearing about 250,000 chechnians. I have to learn more
Dear Mr Varoufakis, what you said is certainly true 100%. On the other side I want to make a simple question: imagine your beautiful Greece being massively attacked by Turkey, and some politicians, probably in Germany (a country that had always a strong relation with Turkey, up the point one day it will become a turkish vilayet), calling for neutrality: how would you feel?
Indeed, I am not hiding myself behind a finger... while this barbaric russian war against Ukraine is going on, with the tears of the self calling "civilized world", there are other people suffering a lot... for example the Kurdish people, and in front of our eyes is the new Armenian Genocide, with the ethnic cleansing going on in Artsakh, and nobody is doing nothing, for neutrality and "peace".
Yes, excellent question. It's easy to do philosophy and many UA-cam likes by presenting only one side of the problem. Mr. Varoufakis if you lived with his family a year ago in Bucha and Irpin? Were you so the peace lover?
How stupid do you have to be not to see Americans are pushing Greece to go war with Türkiye the same way they did to Ukraine so they can sell weapons and get you in debt so they can control your Parliment.
@@frankleedontcare7864 Oh and what provocation was big enough to justify what Russia is doing? You will either not able to list them or you will just repeat the Russian lies.
Before yo go on no there was no Ukrainian genocide on Russian people in Donbas and Maidan was not a CIA coup and even if it was that does not justify what Russia did.
@@arjan2777 if the Chinese or Russians tried to put bases anywhere in the americans the US would be bombing the host nation before midnight.and the entire world knows this
Neutrality could be defined as an imposed or self-imposed limitation of the sovereignty of one's own country. This limitation ensures, in advance, the prohibition of taking sides in any possible conflict between any two states. Not taking sides means not providing any material support to any of the warring parties. I suppose providing moral support isn't desirable either, but it can hardly be forbidden - given that it's not that relevant to the ongoing conflict.
I seriously doubt that the majority of each European countries supports the involvement of their country in these war. Putin is not a an angel, but most of European leaders would sell their mother for 10 €... They are not trustable people too, that I'm sure. See how they dragged us to war in Iraq and their coward position on the Arab spring and jugoslavia, for instance
"self imposed limitation of the sovereignty of one's own country" if the people decide is a total oxymoron XD the people are the sovereign. Nice job trying to sound smart by using all those fancy words though!
If it's not in your countries interest to get involved, just stay out of it.
@@Eltopo1368 There's an argument to be made that it's in all of our interests to bash the fash, so to speak. The precedent that a successful invasion of Ukraine would set for Putin would put all of us at risk, so the argument goes. So I'm not sure I understand the point.
@@Eltopo1368 No, you are forbidding yourself (your country), to get involved regardless if it's in yours countries (short term) interest.
Sería tan bueno subtitulo español
Porquê vosotros españoles no estudais inglés 😅...??
@@fernandez9063 No sólo quiero yo saber que dice, quiero que toda Latino América pueda escucharle y así como el dólar ya no puede ser la única moneda dominante, tampoco el inglés puede ser el único idioma, el castellano es lo nuestro más las lenguas ancestrales 😉
Figures about losses in Chechnya are not substantiated.
Civilians - a maximum of 40,000 in the first Chechen war, according to Amnesty International for 2007, in the second war since 1999, up to 25,000 civilians have died.
Amnesty International is(was) CIA’s, MI6’s… tool=can you trust their information about Russian casualties?… (((
I do not agree on this, its a disgrace to be neutral on such a conflict. But to each its own opinion
you can take a thrid position against the military industrial complex or evey country
Is late for dears mr Varofakis
why say "stay neutral"? i dont understand
I believe that Yanis means neutral, as in not participating in prolonging a war that has nothing to do with one's own country or politics. Sending money and weapons are causing immense suffering, as we see happening before our eyes now.
@@devonseamoor ok i can see your point
Ireland is not neutral. It allowed USA military aircraft use Shannon airport. It currently has USA army training base in county Cork.
That's a not rason were neutral come up with something better than this fairytale
@@patdoyle3686 put forward a comprehensive argument. I've stated 2 facts. Where's your argument against my 2 facts. Learn how to spell correctly first I might add
10
Three questions for Yanis (whom I have a lot of respect for, BTW). First, what were Putin's options given the contempt with which his proposals were rejected by the West - not to mention the Minsk Accords, or the Istanbul agreement, which were torn up by Johnson?
Second, at what stage do military provocations become so intolerable that a leader must act to protect his people?
Why have we leftists erased the 15,000 ethnic Russians who were slaughtered by Ukrainian neo-Nazis in Donbass between 2014 and 2022 from history?
Exactly. And let's not forget that the current state was formed by the Soviet Union by granting it Russian territory. During the eight years of civil war by Ukrainian Neo-Nazis who were trying to ethic cleanse Russians from the territories that have lived in for centuries (Odessa was founded by Russians) and deny them their own language. During this eight years Putin was attempting to find a peaceful solution. And we must understand that Ukraine is a vassal state bankrolled by the US.
Since the 90's have the Russians felt threaten by nato regarding a closing siege to their territory. Why do nato can put nuclear weapons at Russias doors and no one can even dare to come close to USA? Does that sound fair?
@@joaoxavier3687 It's unfair, but at least it's predictable hypocrisy. What I can't understand is why we leftists must blame Putin for responding to it.
@@akpanekpo6025 military response is almost never the better answer... Plus it gave the USA the perfect excuse to ride this horse indefinitely, as no americans die, only Ukrainians and russians, therefore no pressure from the public opinion to stop sponsoring the war...
We're really trying to set the world record in how many Kremlin talking points we csn fo in one take Putin's proposals weren't rejected not all of them only the parts that were non starters Kik kicking countries out of NATO. Russia violated Minsk the moment they signed them and there's nothing to prove Johnson did anything Russia wasn't engaging in good faith. What military provocation 2014: was about a trade deal then the annexation. The classic 15 000 number that's completely misrepresented that number includes solders from both sides the civilian casulties are around 3000 again on both sides not ",all innocent Russian civilians by Ukrainian Nazis" casulty of civilians was decreasing over the years reaching 25 in 2022. Why do leftists feel compelled in spreading literal Russian state propaganda
As Irish people generally understand it, to take a side and choose to help any side militarily would be breaking neutrality.
I like Varis' take on neutrality, because as things stand the Irish black and white view of what neutrality means is being used in order to push Ireland towards Nato membership... The Fine Gael party supported by Fianna Fáil seem to be laying the groundwork for this, and they are more than willing to do this without a referendum. They will just do it. Recently an Irish member of the Green Party brought the government to court over the granting of privileges to Canadian multinationals which would allow them to override any local laws on related to environmental protection, for such privileges to be given a referendum would be required he said, the Taoiseach/Prime minister of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, replied that he didn't want a referendum and that his legal advisors could find a workaround to pass the new laws.
Is this what representative democracy has come to?
Irish people must update their understanding of neutrality, and must stay away from Nato. One does not have to join Nato to support Ukraine, that is a ridiculous lie.
Ireland is a vassal state and Leo Varadkar holds most of the responsibility for this state of affairs. The country is basically controlled by the World Economic Forum ( Varadkar's a graduate of the WEF's Young Leaders Programme) and the ( WEF connected) Digital Aristocracy funds the Irish budget!!
@@abcschoolofenglish6982 Funny when someone mentions the world economic forum my conspiracy alarm bell immediately starts to ring. 😂
People vote for Varadkar otherwise he would not be in government. I know it is difficult and I don’t understand why people still vote for our current prime ministers party in the Netherlands either but they do. They think it is in their interest.
And yes you don’t need to be a nato or even a EU member to support Ukraine. I don’t think Ukraine would refuse your help because you are not a nato member, that is absurd.
Spot on Sir! 💯😇👏 I'm partly Finnish and do regret Finland (+ Sweden) joining NATO (although I do understand why they went that way) and abandoning neutrality. 🤔☹️
I agree with keeping the choice of defense to citizens, but what does Yanis propose to end the war?
putin is not criminal? He is a president of the Russian Federation! Show respect!
Varoufdakis can be a great statesman of a European future. The EU leadership doesn't set much store by him at present, but when some sanity comes to Brussels he is waiting in the wings. The EU seems as confused and rudderless as the US and its penitent allies. What they don't seem to realize is they, plus the Downunder crew, Japan, South Korea and parts of Indonesia, have hitched their wagon to a train that has been targeted by Kamikazi Drones. They will all be ravaged. While China and North Korea watch in amusement. Neutrality has great value especially if you had it before the Ukraine decimation started. When NATO collapses, do Sweden, Finland, and the Baltic States declare neutrality? Will Russia give you a free pass?
NATO won’t collapse because it is needed. It is needed because of Russia and the more aggressive Russia is the more the member countries feel it’s need and the more countries want to join.
It is that simple.
Also “will Russia give them a free pass” Russia has nothing to say about other countries security policies and it is exactly that mentality that made Finland join nato. The Finnish president said it in an interview that you can find on UA-cam.
When Russia did no longer appreciate Finnish neutrality but demanded it Finland joined Nato.
Sadly i totally disagree with you
I'm neither a fan of the NATO nor Putin but I continue asking myself how we can end this war and Putin's imperialism ASAP. I'm all in for neutrality, being a native Austrian, but how can you support a country that's being invaded by a stronger country? Given neutrality, sending arms or soldiers is out of the question. And as you claimed in a past video, sanctioning Russia won't do good since it only hits the poor people.
How are we supposed to defend Ukraine's sovereignty without giving military support or making poor Russians pay for Putin's crimes?
Careful about what you wish... A fragmented Russia is a colossal threat for international security as many provinces have nuclear weapons and we'll never know what crazys come after putin...
You defend negotiation, just like all the nato defenders end up supporting talking about the stalemate, and what Biden said to Zakaria is the only way.
@@trollamoswhat do you do when negotiation doesn't work cause one actor is bad faith
@@rebelmango2141 I don't know, but that's not where we are or have been.
@@trollamos we do know tho we tried negotiations with Minsk they failed spectacularly
If not for high corruption in Ukraine and Russia these two countries should bloom in prosperity and have marvellous relationship.
EVERY oligarch represent cancer of their countries.
.....
Even during the war they still steal money. Stealing money is nothing more like adding to weakening of their armies and more dead bodies.
Mr Zelensky has plenty of blood on his hands equally as Putin.
That last sentence is bs. Zelensky is a democratically elected president operating in a democratic framework and only president a few years. He tries to be a good democratic president which is necessary for his EU and nato ambitions and he tries to prevent war crimes and to tackle corruption. There is enough evidence for this.
Putin made career in the KGB, the continuation of Stalins murderous NKVD. Cd then he bombed Moscow apartment blocks to start a murderous war In Chechnya.
Putin flattens cities and sends agents to poison people in other countries. He is a mass murderer. You can not compare him with Zelensky, that is sheer ignorance.
Yes, yes... neutrality.
✊ carpe diem, future.
Austria was victim of gladio operation as well.
United we stand divided we fall.
Varoufakis is courageous and consitent in general until he gets inconsitent with his moralistic and absolutist "anti invasion of Ukraine " mantra ...with never ever giving any other alternative for what Russia was left to do after both Merkel, Holland and everyone in the US and britain admitted that Minsk was only used to arm Ukraine for it to join NATO ...which would have meant ..Crimea , Sevastopol and the black sea gone for Russia as already planned by the brits since already 1853 !
Let alone all the Historical background of Russia being invaded through the same routes 4 times in less than 150 years and tens of millions of its citizens massacred.
What Russia could have done? What about not invading other countries, annexing territories and torturing and murdering people? I know it is too much to ask. It is against Putin’s nature not to start wars
What else could Putin do. He could release his political prisoners and stop torturing them. I know he is mentally not capable of doing such a thing but hey you asked.
He could stop being a president. He has been in power for too long and is making hubris based mistakes. It will only get worse.
Also who violated the Minsk agreements continuously? Right. Russia in its efforts to expand those puppet republics.