Newcastle
“I’m Russian, anti-war and anti-Putin’s policy”
Attending a pro-Ukraine rally in the capital of Neuchâtel on Friday, a Russian protester believed in an invasion of Ukraine.
Published
Commonly used by opponents of Putin’s regime and created by a child, the flag reads “No War” in Russian.
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“I’m Russian but I’m against war and Putin’s policy.” The tone is set and a woman challenges us after attending our interview with the Ukrainians. Unity rally to Ukraine organized by a local support group in Newcastle on Friday evening.
Irina, a Swiss national, is close to the fountain of justice to show her empathy for oppressed people and condemn the policy and actions of the Russian president. “This war is a great misfortune for Ukraine and Russians. Our youth are dying to fulfill Putin’s ambitions,” he laments.
“Today we are fascists!”
After recalling the harsh repression of the opposition in his country, the Russian expresses his dismay at the prism shift: “It hurts my heart to see what my country is now associated with. We were the proud grandparents who defeated fascism in World War II, but today we are the fascists! It is our government that is conducting genocide! Shame on us for our country to do this to our neighbors! Moaning in the forties.
Like her, other Russians in exile in Switzerland put their talents to the service of Ukrainian refugees. “Because we speak Russian, we continue to serve as translators for Russian speakers. We help newcomers to the best of our ability,” she said. It is her way for her and her compatriots, who share their rejection of Putin’s policy, to express their opposition to the Russian regime in a constructive and effective way.