Images

Film icon Arnold Schwarzenegger tells Putin to 'stop this war' in new video

Film icon Arnold Schwarzenegger tells Putin to 'stop this war' in new video

In a nine-minute video, Schwarzenegger told Russians they’re being lied to about the war in Ukraine.
18 Mar, 2022

Film icon Arnold Schwarzenegger told Russians in a video posted on social media Thursday they’re being lied to about the war in Ukraine and accused President Vladimir Putin of sacrificing Russian soldiers’ lives for his own ambitions.

Schwarzenegger is hugely popular in Russia, and apparently also with Putin. The President of Russia Twitter account follows only 22 accounts — one of them the actor’s.

In the nine-minute video, Schwarzenegger said Russian soldiers were told they’d be fighting Nazis in Ukraine, or to protect ethnic Russians in Ukraine or that were going on military exercises, and that they’d be greeted like heroes. He said many of the troops now know those claims were false.

“This is an illegal war,” Schwarzenegger said, looking straight into the camera while seated at a desk in a study. “Your lives, your limbs, your futures are being sacrificed for a senseless war condemned by the entire world.”

Schwarzenegger posted his emotional video on Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. While some of those services are blocked in Russia, he also posted it on the Telegram messaging app — which is not — where it got more than a half-million views. It was subtitled in Russian.

The former California governor brought up painful memories about how his own father was lied to as he fought with Adolf Hitler’s forces during World War II, and how he returned to Austria a broken man, physically and emotionally after being wounded at Leningrad.

He asked Russians to let their fellow citizens know about “the human catastrophe that is happening in Ukraine.” The video showed bombed out buildings in Ukraine and people coming under Russian shelling.

He then addressed Putin directly, saying: “You started this war. You are leading this war. You can stop this war.”

Schwarzenegger described his long ties to Russia, having travelled there as a body builder and film action hero. In 2010, as California governor, he led a delegation of Silicon Valley business leaders and venture capitalists on a trip to Moscow.

He called all the Russians who have been in the streets protesting the invasion of Ukraine, and who have been arrested and manhandled, “my new heroes.”

An adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry who works to disseminate information about the course of the war urged Ukrainians to share the video with friends and relatives in Russia.

“Putin and his propagandists call us Ukrainians fascists and Nazis,” the adviser, Anton Gerashchenko, said on Telegram. “But their propaganda is blown to smithereens when super famous people all over the world speak with one voice: ‘No to war!’”

Gerashchenko has more than 385,000 subscribers to his channel on Telegram. He included a link to a version of Schwarzenegger’s video with a Russian voice-over that he posted on his YouTube channel.

Comments

Khalid Mar 18, 2022 11:29am
And Americans always tell the truth, LOL Iraq War Afghan War Syria War Libya War Tell me Mr Terminator... What would the US do if Russia builds military presence in Mexico?
Recommend (0)
Ali Sabir Mar 18, 2022 11:35am
..."Your Holiness! We ask you ... to call on the leadership of the Russian Federation to immediately stop hostilities that are already threatening to turn into a world war," the Orthodox bishops wrote in an open letter on February 28. Another Ukrainian Orthodox leader, Metropolitan Epiphanius, whose church is independent from Moscow, had even stronger words. "The spirit of the Antichrist operates in the leader of Russia," he wrote in a February 27 statement. "This was Hitler during World War II. This is what Putin has become today."
Recommend (0)
Dehati Mar 18, 2022 11:54am
Thanks to him.
Recommend (0)
Abdul Sheikh Mar 18, 2022 11:56am
He thinks, Putin worship the celebrities.
Recommend (0)
Inquisitor Mar 18, 2022 12:08pm
Time for Arnie to suit-up again as the Terminator and tell his former friend Putin, who seems to be implementing Arnie's line, "If it bleeds, we can kill it" in Ukraine, "Hasta la vista, baby" before delivering the coup de gras.
Recommend (0)
Mahmood Mar 18, 2022 12:22pm
Or, he'll be BACK!! Hasta la vista Baby!!
Recommend (0)
Hamed Mar 18, 2022 12:27pm
He was not against Iraq war or war against Afghanistan, Libya etc. Guess why!
Recommend (0)
F Nawaz Mar 18, 2022 12:41pm
The simplest solution was for Ukraine to just say they won't join NATO. The US wanted this war.
Recommend (0)
Syed A. Mateen Mar 18, 2022 01:40pm
Every body has a right to express his views and whatever Arnold Schwarzenegger thought have expressed his views. In the present circumstances when the entire world is going through financial crises after the pandemic disease Covid-19 no body have thought to start a war, but Russia did. Mostly people say that war is not a solution of any issue, but whatever the issue is, it should be settled while sitting across the table. Unfortunately, in Russia-Ukarine war diplomacy was not given a first chance to play its due role. In the modern world no country can occupy territory of another country and when the Russia-Ukarine war will be finished Russia would have to retrieve its forces and vacate the territory which Russia have occupied with force. If Russia will not retrieve than its consequences will be far more dangerous which Russia may have not thought till now. Peaceful people in the world want that Russia-Ukaraine war must come to an end forthwith to save the precious human lives.
Recommend (0)
NYS Mar 18, 2022 01:52pm
@Khalid absolutely!
Recommend (0)
Iskandar Aslan Mar 18, 2022 02:23pm
Russia wins! NATO loses! Ukrainians are unfortunate victims of superpowers
Recommend (0)
Aamir Mar 18, 2022 02:33pm
Who is Azove battalion in Ukraine? Arnold should do a little bit of homework before saying there are no Nazis in Ukraine. Also, why the US wanted Ukraine to join NATO and why the Ukrainian forces and Nazi militias had been bombing Eastern Ukrainian parts, killing 14000 Russian speaking civilians over the last 8yrs?
Recommend (0)
Aamir Mar 18, 2022 02:34pm
Did he also ask the US to stop the war in Yemen, Syria, Libya and elsewhere in the world?
Recommend (0)
Farid Mar 18, 2022 03:54pm
He was sleeping at time of Afghan war ?? He dididn't even try to stop Syria war!!!
Recommend (0)
Zaraq Khan Mar 18, 2022 04:15pm
One video message for Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya etc?
Recommend (0)
Imran khan Mar 18, 2022 04:27pm
Did you tell Bush, Obama, Trump and Joe to stop the wars in Afghanistan, Syria , Iraq , Libya ?
Recommend (0)
Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Mar 18, 2022 04:32pm
What else can he say at this crucial, critical, carping, compelling and caviling point in time and history to mark his presence, look busy, rally support, make his constituents happy, stay afloat, get counted, thumb his impression and above all, remain in the powerful multimedia limelight?
Recommend (0)
LOL Mar 18, 2022 04:34pm
Who is he?
Recommend (0)
Imran A. Mar 18, 2022 05:55pm
On this very page Arnold says "I stepped over the line several times [with women]". Tomorrow, he will admit more crimes that will be proven. From a man with no moral values, and is advising the Russians. Seriously, what has the come down to.
Recommend (0)
Zak Mar 18, 2022 10:25pm
Did Arnie, also tell them US and NATO lied to their own people and broke umpteen agreements with Russia.
Recommend (0)
NYS Mar 18, 2022 10:57pm
@LOL ex Hollywood actor turned politician
Recommend (0)
Anonymouseee Mar 19, 2022 02:11am
Nobody cares what Arnold has to say. He didn’t utter a word when Indian occupying forces killed Kashmiris or Israeli apartheid forces killed Palestinians.
Recommend (0)
IRFAN Mar 19, 2022 04:52am
Who is he to talk....does he know anything about politics. He should shut up and only talk about movies.
Recommend (0)
Salman Mar 19, 2022 06:57am
It would have be much better, if he made another Terminator like film (using Rambo in Vietnam, as a role model), using the locations of Russia and Ukraine. At least, he could get some money bacck, which he lost profusely in politics - as gubernator of Kalifornia.
Recommend (0)
Syed Hasni Mar 19, 2022 04:36pm
Zelensky need a Commando.
Recommend (0)
nobody Mar 19, 2022 09:44pm
Arnie has more influence with Russian people than any foreign leader - that's for sure. And for those who think that Russia is right just because they hate the USA - your wrong. Slaughtering civilians is wrong - whether your Russia, China, USA, India or Pakistan.
Recommend (0)