The position of many of my colleagues in exile does not stand up to any criticism. This eternal attempt to remain in white gloves – “nothing to do with us” – is perplexing. What do you have to do with it? We are all in this shit, this shit is on us all. Stop pretending that you have nothing to do with it. The longer you pretend, the more you become accomplices to Putin’s crimes.
With each Russian strike on Ukraine, the shameful lie about “Putin’s war” crumbles into dust. This is not Putin’s war. This is Russia’s war. Stop lying to the West that there is an anti-war movement in Russia. There are a certain number of decent people who are silent. However, they are still a minority in the general background. Some are in prison but did not end up there because they dreamed of a feat. Heroes like Skobov and Gorinov are few and far between.
Of course, we all bear historical guilt for what is happening but much greater guilt lies with those who, sitting on grants, are trying to deceive Western public opinion, continuing to tell tales about some “other Russia” that does not exist.
War has become commonplace, murders have become commonplace. Our job is to shout that murders cannot be commonplace. Putin is a war criminal, and all the people who work for Putin are war criminals. Any attempt to blur this picture makes a person an accomplice.
Today’s Putin’s Russia is an enemy, like Nazi Germany. Therefore, we must help Ukraine win the war, and yes, we must give Ukraine missiles that will fly at Moscow City. This is a principled position that any person who considers himself a Russian patriot must take.
