Last October in Paris, a historic gathering including thousands of trade unionists, anti-war activists and civic groups took place.
This conference took place amidst an ongoing war drive spanning the European continent. The 29 European NATO members spent a combined $559bn in 2025 alone, with the steepest rises still to come due to Washington’s extortions on NATO countries.
Trade unionists and campaigners across Europe understand that these military spending increases will be paid for by cuts to public services, pensions and other state provisions that are hard-earned by workers.
The Paris conference was one of the largest of its kind in history. It intended to help coordinate and coalesce civic forces against the disastrous war drive that will only make the continent economically weaker and more predisposed to wage war.
But it was only the prequel to the next international anti-war conference, which will take place in London on June 20th:
The war drive is being accompanied by a dangerous resurgence in misplaced faith in nuclear weapons, with some European governments ruminating about the possibility of starting their own nuclear weapons programmes or participating in “Eurobomb” project.
That’s why Scottish CND is encouraging our supporters within Scotland and beyond to attend this historic upcoming conference, if they can.
Speakers have already been announced from major European trade unions, peace organisations, Palestine solidarity groups, as well as progressive politicians.
Tickets for the event are available from the Stop the War website, as well as more information about the programme and its objectives.
The UK is playing its own substantial role in the European war drive. As well as committing to Trump’s ludicrous military spending demands, the Prime Minister has gone even further, signing off in an expansion of the UK’s nuclear forces by introducing F35A jets into the RAF that would carry US nuclear bombs.
Furthermore, in a desperate attempt to rally support for his premiership, Keir Starmer is planning to announce an £18bn boost to military spending over the next 4 years. This indicates who Starmer believes his foremost political constituency to be: the Atlanticist military establishment.
Strengthening the international anti-war movement is the only means of putting brakes on a war economy which would come at the cost of our public sphere and further suffocate European economies. So join Scottish CND, UK CND and the European peace movement on 20th June 2026 in London.