Vladimir Kara-Murza: It’s not just the West that opposes Putin’s war on Ukraine. A lot of Russians do, too

by Vladimir Kara-MurzaFebruary 22, 2022 8:06 am

AVDIIKA, UKRAINE - FEBRUARY 17: A building, damaged in the clashes between Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists, is seen as diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine-Russia crisis continue on February 17, 2022, in Avdiika, Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine. Ukraine has been plagued by conflict in its eastern regions since March 2014, following Russiaâs invasion and annexation of Crimea. Conflict-torn eastern Donbas region, partially occupied by Russian separatists as more than 13,000 people have been killed in clashes between separatists and the Kyiv government since 2014. (Photo by Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

On Sunday, police brutally dispersed a group of demonstrators who came to Moscow’s Pushkin Square, the traditional site of dissident rallies since the Soviet era, to denounce Vladimir Putin’s presumptive attack on Ukraine. The protesters, who included veteran human rights leader and former member of parliament Lev Ponomarev, were detained as soon as they unfurled their banners; some were taken into police custody and charged with violating Moscow’s strict ban on public demonstrations imposed under the pretext of the pandemic. (Needless to say, the ban applies only to opposition rallies. When Putin addressed 80,000 people packed into a stadium to mark the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea, the authorities had no objections.)

Continue reading on The Washington Post.

Editor’s Note: This op-ed was published by the Washington Post. The Kyiv Independent is aggregating it as a recommendation to our readers.

Vladimir Kara-Murza

Tags: Vladimir Putin, NATO, Russia's war, Volodymyr Zelensky

One hell of a year

Last November, the Kyiv Independent was founded by 30 journalists who were fired for defending their editorial independence. One year later, we are the voice of Ukraine bringing you the unfiltered truth about Russia’s brutal war. Stand with the Kyiv Independent.