Russia’s full scale aggression against Ukraine has resulted in several perhaps unforeseen results which have become significant phenomena that should lead to the demise of the world’s largest empire.
Firstly, Ukrainian resistance has been magnificent and overwhelming so that Russia today controls no more of Ukrainian territory than it did on the eve of the full scale invasion on February 24, 2022. In fact Ukraine has produced counteroffensive measures that have addressed territory taken by Russia at the time of its initial aggression in 2014.
Secondly, Russian military losses have been extreme so that it has become apparent to the world not only that Ukraine possesses with the support of its allies military capability second to no country in Europe and that even aside from the morale factor Russian military might is very much outdated and exaggerated.
A third phenomenon has been the situation within the Russian Federation, certainly, more appropriately labelled the Russian empire. The RF is not a monolith, certainly not homogeneous and is a product of the repression and oppression of non-Russian peoples who have lived on
their land and had their own states for centuries. Indeed, the territory of the RF is a result of conquest and actually belongs to many nations.
In order to realise the right of self-determination by our peoples and territories of the Russian Federation, we created the Free Nations’ League – a horizontal network structure that brings together organisations, movements and individual activists who share our goals and views.
We set ourselves the following tasks: consolidation of anti-imperial forces; training of personnel for state building; search for allies in the international arena; the acquisition of real sovereignty by the subjects of the Russian Federation; realisation of the right to self-determination.
This is the Mission Statement of the Free Nations League. What nations comprise the Free Nations League? Bashkirs, Buryats, Erzya, Ingrians, Kalmyks and Tatars. The League also includes activists of the Ingush and Yakut national movements, as well as the smaller peoples of the North as observers.
A similar network named Americans Against Russian Imperialism has been formed in the United States of Americans belonging to the following ethnic groups: Armenians, Baskirs, Belarusians, Buryats, Cossacks, Erzya, Kalmyks, Kazakhs, Yakuts, Tatars and Ukrainians residing from New York to Hawaii. The mission of this group is very similar.
We are Americans, representatives of nations long suffering under Russian oppression. Some have managed to form their own independent states following the demise of the Soviet Union, but continue to be unduly pressured by the so called Russian Federation which in essence is a ruthless Russian empire. Others continue to languish within the empire itself. Our purpose in forging this structure is to familiarise our fellow Americans with the plight of or ancestral nation and seek joint cooperation and assistance in bettering the current conditions aimed ultimately at establishing independent and democratic states free to navigate their own course, history and culture. We sincerely pray that our fellow Americans will be sympathetic to our cause and helpful in accomplishing our purpose.
March 19, 2023 Americans Against Russian Imperialism