On the eve of the anniversary of the full-scale and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, I have set out as concisely as possible a political platform that reflects my own views and, I hope, those of many other decent people.
15 points from a Russian citizen who wants what is best for his country.
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 those efforts are failing. There are almost no volunteers for this war, so Putin’s army relies on prisoners and forcibly mobilized men.
The real causes of 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.”
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.
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. A 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 only produce 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 further military action.
What are Ukraine’s borders? The same kind 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, war cannot be used to change them. Otherwise, the world will descend into chaos.
Leave Ukraine alone and allow it to develop as its people wish. End the aggression, end the war, and withdraw all Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. Continuing the war is a hysterical display of helplessness; ending it would be a sign of strength.
Together with Ukraine, the United States, the European Union, and Britain, seek acceptable ways to compensate Ukraine for the damage inflicted on 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, with part of the revenue from hydrocarbon exports directed toward compensation.
Investigate war crimes in cooperation with international institutions.
Do all Russians have an imperial mindset?
That is nonsense. Belarus, for example, is also participating 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 conditions that can give rise to such views, there will always be people with imperial attitudes, but they are far from the majority. There is no reason here for wailing and lamentation. Such people must be defeated at the ballot box, just as right- and left-wing radicals are defeated in developed countries.
Does Russia need new lands?
Russia is a vast country with a shrinking population and dying provinces. Imperial ambition 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 the abundance we already have.
This war will leave us with a tangled knot 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 for Russia and its people, ending the war as soon as possible would not only be the right thing to do, but also highly advantageous: 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.
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 own country’s development.
We are at rock bottom, and to rise to the surface we must push off from it. That would be morally right, rational, and beneficial.
The dismantling of Putin’s regime and his dictatorship. Ideally, this should happen through universal free elections and the convening of a Constitutional Assembly.
The establishment of 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.
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.