Austrian-American actor and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger addressed the Russian people to "
tell the truth about the war in Ukraine
" in a video posted Thursday on social media, in which he denounces "
propaganda and misinformation
from the Kremlin.
“
I know your government told you it was a war to denazify Ukraine.
Denazifying Ukraine?
It's not true
, "says the former governor of California who repeats having only"
affection and respect for the people of Russia
"in this long video of more than nine minutes and subtitled in Russian.
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Also addressing Russian soldiers, Arnold Schwarzenegger tells the story of his father, a soldier for Nazi Germany during World War II, who had been “
galvanized by the lies of his government
”.
He thus evokes how his father returned from Leningrad as a man “
broken physically and mentally
”, not only because of the shrapnel received, but also because of the guilt he felt.
"
I don't want you to end up broken like my father
," he argues, "
it's not the war to defend Russia that your grandfathers or your great-grandfathers waged
."
You started this war.
You are fighting this war.
You can stop this war
Arnold Schwarzenegger to Vladimir Putin
The Terminator
star
further issues a message to "
those in power in the Kremlin
", asking them "
why would they sacrifice these young men for their own ambitions
".
By midday on Thursday, the video had already been viewed several million times.
To Vladimir Putin, he launches: “
You started this war.
You are fighting this war.
You can stop this war
”.
Arnold Schwarzenegger ends his address with a message of support for Russian citizens who have demonstrated against the war in the streets of the country.
“
The world has seen your bravery.
We know that you have suffered the consequences of your courage (...).
You are my new heroes and you have the strength of Yuri Petrovich Vlasov
he says, referring to the Soviet weightlifting champion he says he met in his youth.
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