It is with a very heavy heart that I write this. I am normally opposed to the use of open source projects to communicate political positions or advocate for things outside the immediate relevancy to that project.
However, the events occurring in Ukraine, and specifically the unprecedented invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces operating under orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin compel me to speak out.
Those who know me, know that I have family, friends, and colleagues in Russia, and Ukraine both. My closest friends have historically been Russian friends my wife's hometown of Chelyabinsk. I myself have in the past frequently traveled to Russia, and indeed operated a software development firm with offices in St. Petersburg.
I had a special kinship with Russia and its people.
I say "had", because I fear that the actions of Putin, and the massive disinformation campaign that his regime has waged inside Russia, mean that it's likely that I won't see those friends again. At present, I'm not sure my wife will see her own mother again. We no longer feel it's safe for either of us to return Russia given actions taken by the regime to crack down on those who express disagreement.
Russian citizens are being led to believe it is acting purely defensively, and that only legitimate military targets are being targeted, and that all the information we have received in the West are fakes.
I am confident that nothing could be further from the truth.
This has caused many in Russia, including people whom I respect and believe to be smarter than this, to stand by Putin, and endorse his actions. The claim is that the entirety of NATO is operating at the behest of the USA, and that the entirety of Europe was poised to attack Russia. While this is clearly absurd to those of us with any understanding of western politics, Russian citizens are being fed this lie, and believing it.
If you're reading this from inside Russia -- YOU are the person that I hope this message reaches. Your government is LYING to you. Of course, all governments lie all the time. But consider this. Almost the entire world has condemned the invasion of Ukraine as criminal, and has applied sanctions. Even countries which have poor relations with the US sanctioning Russia, as well as nations which historically have remained neutral. (Famously neutral -- even during World War II -- Switzerland has acted to apply sanctions in concert with the rest of the world.)
Ask yourself, why does Putin fear a free press so much, if what he says is true? Why the crack-downs on children expressing only a desire for peace with Ukraine? Why would the entire world be unified against him, if Putin was in the right? Why would the only countries that stood with Russia against the UN resolution to condemn these acts as crimes be Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria? Even countries normally allied to Russia could not bring themselves to do more than abstain from the vote to condemn it.
To be clear, I do not claim that the actions taken by the West or by the Ukrainian government were completely blameless. On the contrary, I understand that Western media is biased, and the truth is rarely exactly as reported. I believe that there is a kernel of truth in the claims of fascists and ultra-nationalist militias operating in Ukraine and specifically Donbas. However, I am also equally certain that Putin's response is out of proportion, and that concerns about such militias are principally just a pretext to justify an invasion.
Europe is at war, unlike we've seen in my lifetime. The world is more divided, and closer to nuclear holocaust than it has been since the Cold War. And that is 100% the fault of Putin.
While Putin remains in power, there cannot really be any way for Russian international relations to return to normal. Putin has set your country on a path to return to the Cold War, likely because he fancies himself to be a new Stalin. However, unlike the Soviet Union, the Russian economy does not have the wherewithal to stand on its own, and the invasion of Ukraine has fully ensured that Russia will not find any friends anywhere else in Europe, and probably few places in Asia.
The only paths forward for Russia are either a Russia without Putin (and those who would support his agenda), or a complete breakdown of Russian prosperity, likely followed by the increasing international conflict that will be the natural escalation from a country that is isolated and impoverished. Those of us observing from the West are gravely concerned, because we cannot see any end to this madness that does not result in nuclear conflict, unless from within.
In the meantime, the worst prices will be paid for by innocents in Ukraine, and by young Russian men forced to carry out the orders of Putin's corrupt regime.
And that is why I write this -- to appeal to those within Russia to open your eyes, and think with your minds. It is right and proper to be proud of your country and its rich heritage. But it is also right and proper to look for ways to save it from the ruinous path that its current leadership has set it upon, and to recognize when that leadership is no longer acting in interest of the country or its people.
- Garrett D'Amore, March 4, 2022
Updated March 28, 2022 with minor grammar and spelling corrections. Added Eritrea which was accidentally omitted from the UN vote results.