Arseniy Yatsenyuk: Russians must bear responsibility for everything Putin does
The Russian people, who support the Kremlin's aggression, must share responsibility for the war against Ukraine, said Arseniy Yatsenyuk, founder and chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum, Prime Minister of Ukraine in 2014-16.
"We must know that this war is not just about Putin. It is about the Russian people and the deep root causes that prompted the Kremlin to invade. The Russians have always tried to eradicate the Ukrainian nation. Putin is only reflecting the feelings of a large part of Russian society, so they must also bear responsibility," Yatsenyuk said during the 17th annual Kyiv Security Forum, entitled "UA: Unite Again to Overcome the Global Aggressor", organised by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation.
The founder of the Kyiv Security Forum stressed that the Russian army and its citizens are directly involved in crimes in the occupied territories.
"Who is killing Ukrainians? Ordinary Russians," he said.
According to him, Putin has managed to impose his rules on a large part of the world by enlisting the support of totalitarian regimes, including China.
"President Xi came to Red Square today, 9 May, on purpose to send a signal to the Oval Office. But if Putin is not stopped, if the axis of evil gets stronger, the world will lose the balance of power," Yatsenyuk concluded.