"We will not be forgiven the war with Ukraine"

More than two thousand people signed a statement by the Congress of the Russian intelligentsia against a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. A document entitled "The statement of the world's supporters against the war of the war in the Russian leadership" was published on January 30. Under it, many famous people put their signatures. Radio Liberty talked with several of them about who is addressed to this statement and how to avoid a military conflict.

In November last year, the head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, said that Russia could begin hostilities against Ukraine in January-February 2022. Also, the possible preparation of Russia's attack on Ukraine was reported by the American media, referring to intelligence data and sources in the administration. More and more often there are reports of the transfer of Russian troops and equipment to the border of the two countries, and military intelligence of Ukraine claims that in recruiting centers in Russia an “active set of mercenaries” is carried out, which, after undergoing training, are sent to the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. In the Kremlin, any preparation for the invasion is denied, and the State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, in turn, accused the West of a desire to occupy Ukraine.

Against the backdrop of growth of tension, representatives of the Russian intelligentsia issued a statement against the "party of war" in the Russian leadership. "Russian citizens actually become hostages of criminal adventurism, into which the foreign policy line of Russia turns. They not only live in uncertainty - whether a large war will begin - but also observe a sharp increase in prices and the fall of the national currency," the statement said. The authors of the document claim that within the Russian government a "party of war" was formed, which wants to impose the idea of a holy war with the West.

Lev Schlosberg

The “party of war” in the Russian government is all those people who think of imperial categories and consider the main achievement of any power in the country the expansion of the territory, including through seizure and occupation, ”says politician Lev Schlosberg . - These are people who think in the categories of the twentieth century and consider their first task the maximum return of Russia of the Soviet centuries of the twentieth century. It is quite obvious that the political line of Russia is now determined by people who have fully formed politically, psychologically, ideologically and even mentally in the twentieth century. These are deeply Soviet people. They are not considered the values of human life in principle. For them, there is no question - at what price, in terms of human life. The question "at what price" for them only has a literal financial expression - how many billions of rubles for war do we have. And if there is this money, but it is, then it means that they need to be spent on war. "Party of War" in Russia is headed by Putin. "

The "Party of War" also includes representatives of the army and law enforcement agencies who do not think of themselves in peaceful politics, Schlosberg believes. And the statement of the congress of the intelligentsia should show them the existence of an alternative.

“They didn’t let this alternative into the parliament. All five parties of the State Duma are“ war on the war, ”said Lev Schlosberg.“ If Putin needs to receive the consent of the State Duma deputies for the use of Russian troops outside the country and he will bring it to the State Duma, not a single deputy of 450 will vote against! Because it will be equivalent to Putin’s personal call. All five parties. The State Duma of Putin’s parties, which is an alternative to the parliament today, is a very dangerous situation They are mocking. Here is our Russia. "Therefore, this is a letter from those people who declare themselves openly and publicly as an alternative to Putin and as an alternative to the" Party of War ".

According to Boris Vishnevsky , deputy chairman of the Yabloko party, the probability of a military conflict between Russia and Ukraine is now higher than, for example, in April last year, when the tightening of Russian troops to the border was also observed.

Boris Vishnevsky

"I am very worried about the ongoing statements about the allegedly preparing provocations from the Ukrainian side, about the allegedly preparing attack of Ukraine to the Donbass, that" we will not be able to endure it and will have to answer "that" NATO wants to occupy Ukraine. "In my opinion, a statement that NATO wants to occupy Ukraine should consider that any potential aggressor is always trying before the start of the aggression. To appear in the role of “there are a provocation” and he will be forced to give a worthy rebuff to these provocations, and not only the domestic one, unfortunately, there is nothing new in this, ”says Vishnevsky. If, God forbid, she will begin, it will be late to sign the appeal. "

The statement published by the Congress of the intelligentsia is one of the forms of action that society can be taken to prevent the conflict, said human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkin:

Svetlana Gannushkina

"We must use any forms of non -violent actions in order to prevent this, and one of the forms is constant contacts with Ukrainian civil society, with Ukraine. Thank God, I did not interrupt the relationship with any of my Ukrainian colleagues, and our idea of what is happening between our countries, unnecessary. The frivolity of the authorities is unacceptable. And we must contrast him with a wise attitude towards what is happening, maybe these people have these people The authorities are temporarily, but our people exist in a fairly long period of time, so that we can now allow such irreversible events.

It seems to me that it is time for us to come to the conclusion that war is not a continuation of politics. Maybe in those days when the destruction means were much weaker, the war could be considered as a continuation of politics, when expansion to foreign territories was considered the greatest achievement of the ruler. Now the boundaries play a smaller and smaller role, and we must preserve humanity and life on our planet for the sake of the future, for the sake of our descendants. And the war with Ukraine will not forgive us. If this happens, God forbid, it will be an indelible spot on the history of Russia. This is actually the destruction of Russia, ”Gannushkina emphasizes.