Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appealed to Russian people to understand the “propaganda” that is hurting their “brothers and sisters” in Ukraine.
Schwarzenegger said he was “sending this message through various different channels” for Russian citizens and soldiers, in the hope that they would resist their country’s disinformation concerning the invasion of Ukraine.
He said that many Russian soldiers were told they were going to fight Nazis, they would be treated like heroes when they arrived or just that they were going on an exercise.
In the video posted on Twitter, which has more than 28 million views he added, “Ukraine did not start this war. Neither did nationalists or Nazis. Those in power in the Kremlin started this war.”
He described the war which started following the February 24 invasion ordered by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin as “illegal.” More than 7,000 Russian troops are thought to have been killed, as per the New York Times, more than the number of American troops killed over 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
“Your lives, your limbs, your futures are being sacrificed to a senseless war condemned by the rest of the world,” the 74-year-old Austrian-born actor told the Russian troops.
He said 11 million Russians have connections to the Ukraine so “every bullet you shoot, you shoot a brother or a sister.”
More than 800 civilians have reportedly being killed and more than 1,300 injured with over 3 million people forced to flee Ukraine.
Schwarzenegger even had a message for Russian President Vladimir Putin, “You started this war, you’re leading this war and you can stop this war,” he said.
To the people protesting the war in Russia he said, “The world has seen your bravery. We know that you have suffered the consequences of your courage,” he said. “You are my new heroes…You have the true heart of Russia.”
He asked the Russian people to help him spread the truth.
Schwarzenegger also spoke fondly of his experiences visiting Russia during his movie career and said his childhood hero was Russian heavyweight weightlifter and Olympic gold medalist Yuri Vlasov.
It’s important that these influential figures stand up and tell the truth. I hope more people share his video and the people it’s directed toward see it. Please share.
