On the eve of the anniversary of the full-scale and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, I have set out, as briefly as possible, a political platform of my own and, I hope, of many other decent people as well.
15 points from a Russian citizen who wants what is best for his country.
What happened, and where are we now?
1. President Putin launched an unjust war of aggression against Ukraine under absurd pretexts. He is desperately trying to give this war the status of a "people's war," seeking to make all Russian citizens his accomplices, but these attempts are failing. There are almost no volunteers for this war, so Putin's army relies on prisoners and forcibly mobilized men.
2. The real reasons for the war are Russia's internal political and economic problems, Putin's determination to hold on to power at any cost, and his obsession with his historical legacy. He wants to go down in history as a "conquering tsar" and a "gatherer of lands."
3. Tens of thousands of innocent Ukrainians have been killed, and pain and suffering have been inflicted on millions. War crimes have been committed. Ukraine's cities and infrastructure have been destroyed.
4. Russia is suffering a military defeat. It is precisely this realization that has changed the authorities' rhetoric from "Kyiv in three days" to hysterical threats to use nuclear weapons in the event of defeat. The lives of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have been senselessly wasted. Final military defeat can be delayed at the cost of the lives of hundreds of thousands more mobilized men, but overall it is inevitable. The combination of "aggressive war + corruption + incompetent generals + a weak economy + the heroism and high motivation of those defending themselves" can produce only one outcome: defeat.
The Kremlin's false and hypocritical calls for negotiations and a ceasefire are nothing more than a realistic assessment of the prospects for continued military action.
What should be done?
5. What are Ukraine's borders? The same as Russia's: internationally recognized, as defined in 1991. We, Russia, recognized them then as well. Russia must recognize those borders now too. There is nothing to discuss here. Almost all borders in the world are to some extent arbitrary and a source of someone's dissatisfaction. But in the 21st century, waging war to change them is unacceptable. Otherwise, the world will descend into chaos.
6. Leave Ukraine alone and give it the chance to develop as its people wish. End the aggression, bring the war to a close, and withdraw all Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. Continuing the war is a hysterical display of impotence; ending it would be a show of strength.
7. Together with Ukraine, the United States, the European Union, and Britain, seek acceptable ways to compensate Ukraine for the damage done to it. For example, after a change of power in Russia and the end of the war, restrictions on our oil and gas could be lifted, while directing part of the revenue from hydrocarbon exports toward compensation.
8. Investigate war crimes in cooperation with international institutions.
Why is ending Putin's aggression in Russia's interests?
9. Do all Russians have an imperial mindset?
This is nonsense. Belarus, for example, is also taking part in the war against Ukraine. Do Belarusians have an imperial mindset too? No, they also have a dictator in power. In Russia, as in any country with historical preconditions for it, there will always be people with imperial views, but they are far from the majority. There is no reason for wailing and lamentation here. Such people must be defeated at the ballot box, just as right- and left-wing radicals are defeated in developed countries.
10. Does Russia need new lands?
Russia is a vast country with a shrinking population and dying provinces. Imperialism and the urge to seize territory are the most harmful and destructive path possible. Once again, the Russian authorities are destroying our future with their own hands so that the country will look bigger on the map. But Russia is already big enough. Our task is to preserve our people and develop what we already have in abundance.
11. We will inherit from this war a tangle of difficult and, at first glance, almost unsolvable problems. What matters is deciding for ourselves that we truly want to solve them, and then beginning to do so honestly and openly. The key to success is understanding that ending the war as soon as possible would not only be good for Russia and its people, but highly advantageous as well: only in this way can we begin moving toward the lifting of sanctions, the return of those who left, the restoration of business confidence, and economic growth.
12. Let me stress once again that after the war, we will have to compensate Ukraine for the damage caused by Putin's aggression. But restoring normal economic relations with the civilized world and bringing back economic growth will make it possible to do this without hindering our country's development.
We are at the bottom, and to rise to the surface we must push off from it. That would be morally right, rational, and beneficial.
13. Dismantle Putin's regime and his dictatorship. Ideally, this should happen through universal free elections and the convening of a Constitutional Assembly.
14. Establish a parliamentary republic based on the regular transfer of power through fair elections, an independent judiciary, federalism, local self-government, full economic freedom, and social justice.
15. Mindful of our history and traditions, we must be part of Europe and follow the European path of development. We have no other path, and we do not need one.