'In his letter, Ivashov argues that Ukraine has a right to self-defence as an independent nation, and the international backlash to the annexation of Crimea ‘convincingly shows the failure of Russian foreign policy’.
He continued: ‘Attempts to “love” the Russian Federation and its leadership through an ultimatum and threats of the use of force are senseless and extremely dangerous.
‘The use of military force against Ukraine, firstly, will call into question the existence of Russia itself as a state; secondly, it will forever make Russians and Ukrainians mortal enemies.
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He said: ‘The president and the government, the Ministry of Defense cannot fail to understand such consequences, they are not so stupid.’
The hardline general then questions why would Putin risk such hostility and conflict, concluding that it is a distraction from the country’s internal problems.
He said: ‘In our opinion, the country’s leadership, realising that it is not capable of leading the country out of the systemic crisis which can lead to an uprising of the people and a change of power in the country, with the support of the oligarchy, corrupt bureaucrats, state media and security forces, decided to activate the political line for the final destruction Russian statehood and the extermination of the country’s indigenous population.''A top retired Russian general has warned Vladimir Putin not to go to war with Ukraine, accusing the leader of whipping up an ‘artificial’ conflict to distract from his domestic problems.
Colonel-General Leonid Ivashov, 78, penned an open letter titled ‘The Eve of War’ in which he blasted Putin’s ‘criminal policy of provoking a war’ despite Russia not facing any ‘critical threats’.
The rare outburst of internal dissent comes as Emmanuel Macron jets to the Kremlin for crisis talks with Putin, a day after the White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said an invasion could come ‘any day’ at an ‘enormous human cost’.
Ivashov, who has retired from military services and is active in politics as the chairman of the All-Russian Officers’ Assembly, previously served as Putin’s chief of military cooperation in the Ministry of Defence.
In an open letter on the assembly’s website he said he fears Russia will become a ‘pariah of the world community’ if an invasion is launched.
The decorated general, who was one of the most respected and hawkish generals in the Russian MoD and is known as a hardline nationalist who still champions the Soviet system and is close to the remains of the Communist party.
Since being fired by Putin in 2001 he has become a fierce critic of the Russian president – and has frequently called for him to resign and accused him of ‘crimes against Russia’.
His latest intervention shows that there is at least some opposition to a war with Ukraine within Russia, and comes after a petition was signed by 5,000 citizens demanding Putin call off the conflict.
Ivashov said: ‘As for external threats, they are certainly present. But, according to our expert assessment, they are not currently critical, directly threatening the existence of Russian statehood and its vital interests.’
Commenting on the letter, Stanford Russia expert Michael McFaul, who previously served as the US ambassador to Russia, said: ‘This is a big deal. At one time, General Ivashov was one of the most respected (and hawkish) leaders in the Russian MOD.
‘Russian generals don’t usually get involved in public policy debates, especially ones like Ivashov.’
The All-Russian Officers’ Assembly is an independent group established in 2003 discusses the role of the Russian military in the state, and is considered a retirement home for former officers with often nationalist views.
In his letter, Ivashov argues that Ukraine has a right to self-defence as an independent nation, and the international backlash to the annexation of Crimea ‘convincingly shows the failure of Russian foreign policy’.
He continued: ‘Attempts to “love” the Russian Federation and its leadership through an ultimatum and threats of the use of force are senseless and extremely dangerous.
‘The use of military force against Ukraine, firstly, will call into question the existence of Russia itself as a state; secondly, it will forever make Russians and Ukrainians mortal enemies.
‘Thirdly, there will be tens of thousands of dead young, healthy men on one side and on the other, which will certainly affect the future demographic situation in our dying countries.
‘On the battlefield, if this happens, Russian troops will face not only Ukrainian military personnel, among whom there will be many Russian guys, but also military personnel and equipment from many NATO countries, and the member states of the alliance will be obliged to declare war on Russia.’
Ivashov added that such an invasion would ‘threaten peace and international security’ and would result in heavy sanctions for Russia.
He said: ‘The president and the government, the Ministry of Defense cannot fail to understand such consequences, they are not so stupid.’
The hardline general then questions why would Putin risk such hostility and conflict, concluding that it is a distraction from the country’s internal problems.
He said: ‘In our opinion, the country’s leadership, realising that it is not capable of leading the country out of the systemic crisis which can lead to an uprising of the people and a change of power in the country, with the support of the oligarchy, corrupt bureaucrats, state media and security forces, decided to activate the political line for the final destruction Russian statehood and the extermination of the country’s indigenous population.
‘And war is the means that will solve this problem in order to retain its anti-national power for a while and preserve the wealth stolen from the people. We cannot suggest any other explanation.’
The remarks come as Putin prepares for talks today with Macron who flew to Moscow in a bid to deescalate the tensions which are threatening an imminent war.
This is an excerpt from
Daily Mail.'
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Top Russian General Warns Putin Not to Invade Ukraine and Accuses Him of ‘Criminal Policy of Provoking a War’, February 7, 2022
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