Schwarzenegger, Vindman Team Up For Viral Video Against Russian Disinfo
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Movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up with retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman to deliver an emotional video message debunking Russian disinformation about the Ukraine invasion.
Schwarzenegger, former governor of California, took to social media Thursday sharing an intimate nine-minute video message to Russian citizens and soldiers deployed in Ukraine, stating terrible things "are going on in the world that are being kept from them. Vindman, who was born in Ukraine, retweeted Schwarzenegger's video to increase its reach.
"I am speaking to you today because there are things that are going on in the world that are being kept from you, terrible things that you should know about," Schwarzenegger said in the video with Russian subtitles.
The Terminator star pleaded with Russian viewers to hear "the truth" about what is going on with the war in Ukraine.
It’s interesting Alexander Vindman helped him with this video, as Vindman was one of the key witnesses in Trump’s first impeachment trial and served on the United States National Security Council
Schwarzenegger candidly spoke out against Russian President Vladamir Putin's claims justifying the Ukraine invasion.
"I know that your government has told you that this is a war to 'denazify' Ukraine. Denazify Ukraine," Schwarzenegger scoffed. "This is not true."
He explained that the war was provoked by the Russian Federation, not Ukraine. He cited that 141 countries at the United Nations meeting voted to condemn Russia's aggression and demanded that it withdraw its military forces.
"The world has turned against Russia because of its actions in Ukraine," he said sternly. "Whole city blocks have been flattened by Russian artillery and bombs, including a children's hospital and a maternity hospital. Three million Ukrainian refugees, mainly women, children and the elderly fled their country."
Schwarzenegger said the Kremlin isn't only lying to citizens, but to military personnel as well. He blatantly said that neither Ukraine, nationalists nor Nazis started the war. He placed the blame solely on Russian government officials.
"You're also not being to the truth about the consequences of this was on Russia itself," he said. "I regret to tell you that thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed."
Schwarzenegger also spoke candidly about his father's dark past as a Nazi sergeant. He compared what Russian soldiers are being told to his father being lied to the government when he was a Nazi soldier. Schwarzenegger said his father suffered both physically and mentally from the guilt he felt.
"To the Russian soldiers listening to this broadcast, you already know much of the truth that I've been speaking," he said. "You have seen it with your own eyes. I don't want you to be broken like my father. This is not the war to defend Russia that your grandfathers or great-grandfathers fought. This is an illegal war."
Schwarzenegger ended his message by commending the bravery of Russian protestors who have opposed their government's actions.
Although Twitter access has been limited to Russian citizens by their government, Schwarzenegger also released his message on Telegram, which is still widely available in Russia.
Newsweek reached out Vindman for comment.
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