Actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger has released a Twitter video appealing to Russian soldiers to end the war in Ukraine.
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In the nine-minute video, captioned, "I love the Russian people. That is why I have to tell you the truth," Schwarzenegger speaks directly to the Russian people, telling them that they are being engulfed in state propaganda and do not understand what is taking place in Ukraine.
The "Terminator" star tells Russian viewers that the claims that the Ukrainian government is "Nazi" are false, and points out that Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost much of his family in the Holocaust.
"I know your government has told you that this is a war to denazify Ukraine … This is not true," he says. "Ukraine did not start this war. Neither did nationalists, or Nazis. Those in power in the Kremlin started this war. This is not the Russian people's war," he continues.
I love the Russian people. That is why I have to tell you the truth. Please watch and share. pic.twitter.com/6gyVRhgpFV
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 17, 2022
Schwarzenegger also talks about his own father, who was a Nazi soldier during World War II and fought at Leningrad. He says his father had been captivated by Nazi propaganda, and returned from the war a broken man, physically and emotionally. His father, Schwarzenegger said, was consumed by guilt after realizing that the facts of the situation were different than those he had been fed.
Schwarzenegger also speaks directly to Russian soldiers, warning them not to repeat his father's mistakes, and reminding them that they are attacking civilians, schools, and children. "This is an illegal war," he tells them. "Your lives, your limbs, your futures are being sacrificed for a senseless war condemned by the entire world."
Not pulling his punches, he also has words for Russian President Vladimir Putin: "Your started this war. You are leading this war. You can stop this war."
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