‘Russia is ill’, – top Lithuanian diplomat responds to Russian opposition leaders

Source: Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis had strong words for Russian opposition leaders over their claims that the ‘unfair’ Western sanctions are hitting ordinary Russians.

His criticism comes days after Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was freed in a massive August 1 prisoner swap, argued that the sanctions should target exclusively Putin’s regime, as restrictive policies aimed at the Russian people are ‘counterproductive’ and are producing the opposite effect from the one intended. Similar sentiments have been echoed by Russian opposition figure Andrei Pivovarov, who claimed that ordinary Russians largely do not support Putin’s actions in Ukraine and blames the Kremlin’s “regime” for the war.

In his post on social media, Landsbergis called them out over the misleading ‘talk’:

“I hear talk of ordinary Russians’ innocence, but then I see ordinary Russians murdering ordinary Ukrainians. I see ordinary Russian mothers saying goodbye to their ordinary Russian sons and wishing them good luck with their ordinary Russian war crimes. I see ordinary Russians celebrating murder. I see ordinary Russian parents dressing up their ordinary Russian children in military uniforms and painting the letter Z on a cardboard tank costume.”

Russia is ‘ill,’ and it is at the core of the problem, said the minister, warning that “healing will be a long and gruelling process which can only start when Russia, not just Putin, is defeated. Without a defeat in Ukraine, Russia will just keep spreading.”