We pay a lot of attention to how the war is affecting Ukraine and its people. This is completely fair: the horrors that Ukrainians are experiencing and the destruction and suffering caused by the “special operation” in Russia are incomparable. However, we must realize that war is not only a crime against Ukraine, but also against Russia.
As the ideological basis for aggressive foreign policy, Putin uses the concept of the “Russian world”: the war is supposedly needed to protect the interests of Russians and Russian speakers, their special path, values, and way of life. The task of the anti-war movement is to explain that this is a criminal lie.
In reality, Russians and Russian speakers do not have any “special” path or values. This is just a substitution: the authorities are trying to make us believe that imperialism, militarism, xenophobia, and dictatorship are in our genes, and therefore are necessary for a happy life. But this is not just against our interests — it is the complete opposite of them.
And here’s why:
1. Every nation, and Russians are no exception, deserves and has the right to govern their own country and life. This opportunity can only be provided by freedom and democracy, while the usurpation of power deprives us of this opportunity, and with it, a happy, prosperous, and safe life.
2. Respect, not hatred, for other nations is what is in our best interests. Respect reduces conflicts in society, lowers the level of hatred and crime on its basis, and increases the amount of freedom and happiness. As well as equality and the protection of LGBT+ rights, religious and national minorities’ rights.
3. It is in our best interest that no one dies in senseless wars. Peace leads to development, strengthening the economy, improving the quality of life, and expanding opportunities for education, work, and self-realization. Russians, like other nations, are not cattle or expendable material for the state.
4. Imperialism substitutes investments in human capital with investments in emptiness. Instead of investing in people, education, healthcare, infrastructure, economic development, and so on, the regime literally throws people into the meat grinder of military adventures.
5. In the process, the authorities distort our history, taking away our memory, identity, symbols, covering everything with lies and blood. Does this align with our interests? Certainly not.
The fight against the war is a vital struggle for Russians, for the people of Russia, and for all the nations living in Russia who consider it their homeland. Moreover, it is an act of radical patriotism and humanism. This is the only correct historical choice.
