Hundreds of Russian MPs, journalists and celebrities oppose attack on Ukraine / Article

Municipal deputies from several Russian cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, have published a letter condemning the Russian army’s attack on Ukraine, describing it as an unprecedented atrocity without justification.

Several media and journalists have also opposed the war, publishing an open statement condemning Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. They stress that war has never been and will never be a method of resolving conflicts and that there is no justification for it. Among the media that have joined the statement are “Kommersant”, “Dozh”, “Novaya Gazeta”, “Echo of Moscow” and others.

Among the representatives of culture and celebrities against the war were such singers Valery Meladze, Sergei Lazarev and Alla Pugacheva, comedian Maxim Galkin, television stars Ivan Urgant and Ksenia Sobchak. Yelena Kovalska, the director of the Moscow Theater and Cultural Center named after Vsevolod Meyerhold, has resigned, stating that it is impossible to work for the killer and receive a salary from him.

CONTEXT:

Russian President Vladimir Putin recognizes Donetsk and Luhansk “People’s Republics” on February 21 independence from Ukraine. Putin also threatened Ukraine by demanding that Ukraine immediately cease hostilities against the separatists, “otherwise all responsibility for the possible continued bloodshed will rest entirely with the conscience of the Ukrainian regime.”

However, Ukraine and the West emphasize that it is Russia, led by Putin, that is carrying out the aggression against Ukraine, pulling up to 150,000 troops off the Ukrainian border and threatening a new invasion of Ukrainian territory.

But on February 24, Putin announcedthat Russia has launched a “military operation” in Ukraine and called on the Ukrainian army to “lay down its arms”. This caused the democratic world even more condemnation and the next steps in sanctions against Russia.

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