“Ukraine did not start this war. Neither the nationalists nor the Nazis,” he said. Those in power in the Kremlin started this war.”
“There are things that happen in the world that are kept away from you, horrible things that you should know,” Schwarzenegger said.
“I know that the Russian people are not aware that such things are happening, so I urge the Russian people and the Russian soldiers in Ukraine to understand the propaganda and disinformation you are being told. I am asking you to help me spread the truth.”
He sharply criticized the Russian government for the invasion, saying that they “lied not only to its own citizens but to its soldiers” for the reasons for the war.
Schwarzenegger included a message for Russians publicly protesting the war at great risk to personal freedom.
“The world has seen your bravery,” he said. “We know you suffered the consequences of your bravery.”
“You are my new heroes. You have the strength of Yuri Petrovich Vlasov. You have the true heart of Russia.”