Given the stranglehold that Vladimir Putin holds over the Russian sphere of influence, it’s often surprising to see even the slightest pushback against the Kremlin.
But, in the case of Russia’s unjust and unpopular invasion of Ukraine, speaking out against Putin’s immoral war has become either slightly easier, or slightly more necessary. In fact, the Russian government has already arrested thousands of citizens for protesting against the conflict.
Now, almost three months into the conflict, Putin is beginning to lose high level diplomats.
A veteran Russian diplomat to the U.N. Office at Geneva says he handed in his resignation before sending out a scathing letter to foreign colleagues inveighing against the “aggressive war unleashed” by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.
Boris Bondarev, 41, confirmed his resignation in a letter delivered Monday morning after a diplomatic official passed on his English-language statement to The Associated Press.
There was no denying Bondarev’s intent.
“For twenty years of my diplomatic career I have seen different turns of our foreign policy, but never have I been so ashamed of my country as on Feb. 24 of this year,” he wrote, alluding to the date of Russia’s invasion.
The move comes just as the first war crimes trial of the conflict concludes, with a Russian tank commander being sentenced to life in prison for his execution of an innocent and unarmed civilian.
