“Putting down the weapons is not going to bring about a solution, it will only prolong and magnify this war,” Corbyn said. We may be in a war in Ukraine for years and years.” Corbyn gave the interview to Al Mayadeen, a Beirut-based television channel that has been broadcasting pro-Russian reporting since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. “What I find disappointing is that almost none of the world’s leaders use the word peace. they always use the language of the most war and the most bellicose war.’ He added: “This war is devastating for the people of Ukraine, for the people of Russia and for the safety and security of the whole world, and therefore much more efforts must be made for peace.” He called on the UN to be “much more central” and suggested the involvement of other international bodies, such as the African Union or the League of Arab States, if the UN was unable to help negotiate a ceasefire. Elsewhere in the interview, Corbyn condemned his expulsion from the parliamentary party, calling it “disgraceful”. “I spent my life in the Labor Party. I joined the Labor Party even before England won the World Cup in 1966. I was proud to lead the Labor Party,” he said, citing Labour’s strong performance in the 2017 general election and membership growth on his watch. “I think the way I’ve been treated is disgraceful and the allegations made against me are disgraceful,” he said. Corbyn also claimed he had been criticized for anti-Semitism because of his stance on the Middle East. “I have absolutely no doubt that my unequivocal support for the right of the Palestinian people to be able to live in peace without occupation, without being under siege like in Gaza, and for those living in refugee camps … played a factor in all of that. Benjamin Netanyahu was eager to condemn me for my support of the Palestinian people.” Labor MP Margaret Hodge condemned his comments. He said: “To suggest our fight against anti-Semitism on the left means we are all part of a conspiracy to smear Corbyn is frankly absurd and anti-Semitic in itself. This continued failure to understand and distinguish between our Jewish identity and the complex political issues of the Middle East is at the heart of why Jeremy continues to be outside the Labor Party.’ A Labor source said of Corbyn’s comments: “There can be no ambiguity about the choice he is making, and that is to put himself outside the Labor mainstream.” Starmer has offered strong support for the government’s stance on Ukraine, including providing weapons and military training to the country’s troops. He highlighted Labour’s long-standing support for Nato, which is poised to expand significantly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Finland and Sweden poised to join. Starmer has also criticized the Stop the War Coalition, of which Corbyn is co-chairman with close ally Andrew Murray, and suggested that Corbyn’s re-entry into the party would require him to distance himself from the organisation. In a Guardian article earlier this year, Starmer said of Stop the War: “At best they are naïve, at worst they actively help authoritarian leaders who directly threaten democracies. There is nothing progressive in showing solidarity with the aggressor when our allies need our solidarity and – above all – our practical help now more than ever.” Corbyn has been suspended from the whip since November 2020 over his response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report on the handling of anti-Semitism by the Labor Party under his leadership. If he is not readmitted, he will not be able to stand as a Labor candidate in his Islington North constituency at the next general election. Some allies have suggested Corbyn may choose to stand as an independent instead, relying on historic local support.
