The Red Committee says no to arms support for Ukraine

The committee which processes proposals for political statements for Rødt’s national meeting in April suggests that the party say no to Norwegian arms support to Ukraine.

The debate about arms support for Ukraine has raged in the party in recent months. The National Board is deeply dividedwhile large parts of the party leadership and et plural of the Storting representatives now support that Norway should contribute weapons.

Now the committee that prepares political statements for the national meeting in April has delivered its setting:

“By contributing weapons and thus becoming part of the conflict, we may lose our opportunity to use diplomatic arenas to influence peace efforts. Therefore, Rødt is against sending weapons, but we have and will continue to support donations of so-called B material such as bulletproof vests, helmets and the like.”

Minorities support guns

A minority of the committee has dissented and proposes a paragraph in which Red supports giving arms to Ukraine:

“The Ukrainians’ defensive struggle against Russia’s imperialism depends on them having access to weapons. They need help to stop the bombs. Rødt believes that Norway must contribute by providing weapons with which the Ukrainians can defend themselves, fight back Russia’s aggression and assert the country’s sovereignty.”

At the same time, the committee’s majority rejected a statement from Sarpsborg and surrounding area Rødt which speaks up for arms support.

Hard debate

Norway has already provided arms to Ukraine in several rounds.

The debate about Rødt’s “no” to Norway sending weapons to Ukrainians who are defending themselves against Russia has particularly gone on in Klassekampen, but spread to debate studios and other media when Oslo’s city council leader Raymond Johansen fired off a broadside against the party in The class struggle in mid-January.

Johansen believed the party’s position shows an “abyss in understanding reality”.

Support at the top

As VG wrote Wednesday a majority of Rødt’s parliamentary representatives have supported Norwegian arms aid to Ukraine. The party’s official view, adopted in March last year, is still that Norway should not support Ukraine with weapons. A review in Klassekampen shows that a majority in the central government also wants to send weapons to Ukraine. Party leader Bjørnar Moxnes has not wanted to say what he thinks.

The case is updated.