Happy New Year!
2025 is likely to be another challenging year for the peace movement, but it is essential we rise to the challenge.
If the rhetoric of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy is any indication, we can expect more warmongering, increased arms spending, and a hardened militarism that dismisses calls for peace as acts of betrayal.
On the conflict in Ukraine, Starmer has been one of the most aggressive proponents of military intervention. His commitment to standing with Ukraine “for as long as it takes” has translated into sustained support for the use of advanced weaponry.
For months, Starmer has championed the deployment of British-made Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory - actions that are now unfolding alongside the use of US-manufactured ATACMS missiles. These measures constitute direct interventions by nuclear-armed powers against another nuclear-armed state, drastically heightening the risk of nuclear war.
Over the past three years, Britain has steadily increased its supply of arms and equipment to Ukraine, underscoring the reality that this is a proxy war between NATO and Russia.
Meanwhile, tensions with China are escalating into an alarming cold war dynamic. Western allies in the Pacific are ramping up arms stockpiles, issuing threats of sanctions, and engaging in high-profile espionage accusations.
All of this unfolds against the backdrop of staggering global military expenditure, now at a record $2.4 trillion annually. Starmer has pledged to increase Britain’s defence spending to 2.5% of GDP - a decision made while his government targets the Waspi women and pensioners by cutting vital support such as the fuel allowance.
NATO allies are pushing for even more, with proposals to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP. Given Starmer’s track record, we can anticipate his enthusiastic support for such measures. The prospect of further conflict in 2025 looms large, particularly when considering the potential return of Donald Trump to the US presidency. Together, these factors pose an unprecedented threat to global peace.
This makes the role of the international peace movement more urgent than ever. Only by building a strong, united front can we hope to counter these dangerous trends and demand a path toward peaceful diplomacy, not destruction.
Let 2025 be the year we redouble our efforts for peace. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
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