There is strong disagreement in the party, which will make a decision on their position on the issue at the weekend. During the debate, there are posts both for and against, which come one after the other. – War tests our ability to stand up for our principles. We are the only party that stands against the fact that it is possible to stand against war without weapons, we must stand firm, says Mariette Lobo on the platform. Party member Tobias Lund quickly took the podium on the opposite side – We will meet Ukrainians at the store. I want to be able to look them in the eye and say that Red stands with you, also with weapons, so you can fight for your own survival. Silje Alise Ness says that she herself has taken in around a hundred Ukrainians at asylum reception centres. – I hear stories about children who have walked next to people who have been shot down, and who have been shot at themselves. Being principled when listening to this is difficult. I’m actually against sending weapons. But I can’t look them in the eye and say we won’t send weapons to help them. Shahla Sultani herself had to flee Afghanistan. – Violence begets violence. By sending weapons, we ensure that the war continues, she says from the podium. Several of the politicians who are against arms support for the country point out that it is people from the working class who are forced into conflict on both sides. – I agree that it is unsustainable, but Putin does not care that human lives are lost on the battlefield, is part of what Thor A. Almelid, who is in favor of arms support for Ukraine, says. The assembly in Rødt’s national meeting is divided on the Ukraine issue. Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB – Completely open Storting representative for Red in Nordland, Geir Jørgensen, does not dare to predict the outcome of the debate. – I think it will end with a very narrow majority on one side or the other. I have spoken to people in the corridors, and it is completely open how this will land, he says during the break in the negotiations. He himself is against Norway sending weapons to Ukraine. – It is not the case that they lack weapons. They lack Ukrainians to service the massive arms donations they have received. We must take on the diplomatic leadership jersey as a country that has many years of experience in resolving conflicts with the Russians. Photo: Elise Pedersen / news Will be a long debate Friday morning before the national meeting in Stavanger started, Rødt leader Bjørnar Moxnes said that he expected the discussion to be long. He himself asked the national assembly to say a clear yes to arms aid to Ukraine during his leadership speech on Friday. – We would accept the arms help we could get. Therefore, it does not make sense to me that Red should be against all Norwegian arms support to Ukraine, when we see that Norway has not become a fellow warring state, as we first feared. That is why they vote no. The party has long believed that Norway should not send weapons to Ukraine, because we border directly on Russia and that weapons aid will make Norway a “fellow belligerent state”. The party has also been highly critical of the US’s power in the world and they are against Norwegian NATO membership. There is strong disagreement within the party about the question. – I say no because weapons prolong the suffering and torment the population of Ukraine unnecessarily. The West should use all its resources to get the world on board with diplomacy, says Kristen Bay from Nord-Østerdal. Unni Kronstad from Stange will vote for arms aid, the local team has decided. – This is a difficult issue and there were very divided opinions among the members. But in our party there is at least room for debating arms aid, unlike other parties. The majority in my local team say yes to arms aid. I also leaned towards yes, but not unconditionally. The committee also disagrees on what Rødt should say about the matter. Uncertain outcome Rødt veteran Boye Ullmann believes a continued refusal to provide arms support will harm Rødt. Party member and central board member Mariette Lobo completely disagrees, she tells NTB. – There is no doubt that it is Russia that bears the main responsibility, and that Ukraine has the right to defend itself – also with weapons. But I am against Rødt going in favor of arms support because it is impossible to see this detached from NATO’s role in the war. Nato is contributing to a life-threatening escalation, and the massive rearmament we are seeing in the war with Nato at the forefront must be stopped. A final decision will most likely come on Sunday morning. The debate so far indicates that both positions are strong and the outcome is not certain.
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Redly divided over the issue of arms aid to Ukraine – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
