“Putin’s” war
Russians and responsibility.
This week, several Russian opposition figures were released from jail and exchanged for Russian spies and assassins who were welcomed back to Russia personally by Putin. The exchange was widely celebrated in the West, and the media praised those who facilitated it as the biggest diplomats of our time. A day after the release, the Russian opposition gave a press conference where they immediately advocated for lifting sanctions from Russia and passionately argued that the invasion of Ukraine was solely Putin’s war. They said that ordinary Russians have nothing to do with it and don’t bear any responsibility, however, they unjustly suffer from Western sanctions. They urged to provide more support to the Russian people so they stop viewing the West as the enemy and become more open to dialog. They concluded that there is no peace in the world without Russia and that Russians should be supported, not punished, for Putin’s crimes.
It is the third year of the genocidal invasion of Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands of Russians are currently in Ukraine, committing killings and atrocities. Tens of thousands of Russians moved to the occupied Ukrainian territories and settled in the houses of the people their army killed. Thousands of Russian families “adopted” kidnapped Ukrainian children, and there are widespread reports of abuse that these children endure. Millions of Russians support the war machine by working at the factories and companies that produce weapons and supply the Russian army. Hundreds of millions of Russians sponsor the war with their taxes. Since 2022, there has not been one significant protest against the war or attempt to overthrow Putin’s rule.
It was disheartening and scary to see that the words of the Russian opposition about the responsibility for the war lying solely on Putin were met with ovations instead of criticism and disbelief. Unfortunately, this idea resonates with too many politicians who want to go back to business with Russia as usual. It also resonates with too many people who are afraid to admit that hundreds of millions of ordinary Russians support the war and that the root of the problem is not Putin but the Russian imperial mindset and failed society. Those who call the invasion of Ukraine “Putin’s war” intentionally whitewash Russian crimes and the responsibility of Russians.
Anyone who learned even a little bit of Russian history can see that Russians have been invading other countries and violently killing millions of people to grab their land and resources for centuries. There is a reason why Russia is so big. All the countries and nations that are part of Russia didn’t join it voluntarily. Even without going back hundreds of years, it’s enough to look at the list of wars conducted and supported by Russians in the past 30 years.
1991-1993 – Georgian Civil War
1991-1992 – South Ossetian War
1992-1993 – War in Abkhazia
1992 – Russian occupation of Transnistria
1992-1997 – Tajikistan Civil War
1994- 1996 – First Russian-Chechen War
1999-2009 – Second Russian-Chechen War
2008 – Russian-Georgian War
2014-present – Russian-Ukrainian war
2015-present – Russian intervention in Syria civil war
2018-present – Central African Republic Civil War
You can read more about the wars conducted by Russians in this article.
If Russians were such peace-loving people as the Russian opposition tries to persuade the world, why are they constantly involved in so many wars as aggressors or on the aggressor’s side? The most commonly heard argument is that Russians are too oppressed and fearful to oppose their leaders. Here is Putin's approval rating based on the polling conducted by Levada Analytical Center – a Russian independent non-governmental research organization:
In January 2014, Putin’s approval rating was 65%. A month later, Russians invaded and annexed Crimea, and Putin’s rating skyrocketed. In March 2014, it was already 80%.
In January 2021, a month before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin’s approval rating was 69%. It rose to 83% by April. Right now, after almost three years of the invasion, his rating is at 87%.
You can view the chart here.
Even if you take these numbers with a grain of salt, they show a consistent pattern, which speaks volumes about whether ordinary Russians support the war or not. It is the uncomfortable truth that the Russian opposition works so hard to hide and Western people refuse to acknowledge.
Ukrainians have been shouting from the rooftops about Russian aggression and colonialism for years, yet their voices are constantly ignored and disregarded as biased. An endless number of people can’t speak up at all because they were killed by Russians. This week showed that the voices of a few Russian opposition figures are heard above the voices of millions of victims of Russian aggression.
It is time for the world to stop admiring Russians and whitewashing their crimes, and finally look the truth in the eye. Russians change their “tsars,” but their imperial mindset and desire to dominate never change. If the Russian opposition wants to see the democratic Russia of their dreams that doesn't bring death and havoc to the world, they must work on changing their society, not appeasing it. History shows that Russians have never been held accountable for their crimes and that they thrive on impunity. The Russian opposition proposes giving Russians even more impunity than they already have. It’s time to stop making the same mistakes and finally learn that abusers understand only the language of force. The only way to democratic Russia and peace lies through arming and supporting Ukraine.
Email: daryazorka@substack.com
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"It also resonates with too many people who are afraid to admit that hundreds of millions of ordinary Russians support the war and that the root of the problem is not Putin but the Russian imperial mindset and failed society." I totally agree with you Darya. Russian citizens agree and support the war. They are to blame as well. Russian propaganda media supports this as well. All of them have blood on thier hands.
Totally agreed.