In an attempt to get through the misinformation and communicate directly to the Russian people about the crisis in Ukraine, Arnold Schwarzenegger shared an emotional nine-minute video statement on Twitter. He intended his message to reach my close Russian friends, said the famed bodybuilder, action hero, and former California governor.
He explained, “I’m speaking to you today because there are things that are being kept from you. Terrible things that you should know about.”
He began by expressing his love and affection for the Russian people, beginning with his childhood hero, weightlifting champion Yuri Petrovich Vlasov.
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
His father advised him to pick a new hero, he claimed. Schwarzenegger admitted, “We argued back and forth.” “He didn’t like Russians because of his World War II experience,” he said, referring to his father’s time fighting for the Nazis in Leningrad during the war, which he also brought up in an emotional video he released following the January 6 insurgency at the US Embassy in Moscow. Capitol.
Schwarzenegger’s remarks, which were subtitled in both Russian and English on screen, then shifted to the dismal reality of the situation in Ukraine, where 3 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes due to fatal bombardments.
“Why would you sacrifice these young guys for your own ambition?” he questioned Russian President Vladimir Putin.
To President Putin, I say: You initiated this conflict, you’re in charge of it now, and you have the power to put an end to it.
“When my father arrived in Leningrad, he was all pumped up on the lies of his government. When he left Leningrad, he was broken — physically and mentally. He lived the rest of his life in pain — pain from a broken back, pain from the shrapnel that always reminded him of those terrible years and pain from the guilt that he felt.”
“To the Russian soldiers listening to this broadcast: You already know much of the truth that I’m speaking. You’ve seen it in your own eyes. I don’t want you to be broken like my father,” he continued.
He spoke to Russians who were protesting their country’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of the video.
