Arnold Schwarzenegger addresses Russian President Vladimir Putin directly in the video, telling him, “You started this war, and you can stop it“.
By now, you’ve probably seen the anti-war video that actor and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger posted to Twitter on Thursday.
In the video, captioned “I love the Russian people. That is why I have to tell you the truth. Please watch and share,” Arnie calls out Vladimir Putin for his actions, and warns the people of Russia that they are being misled by the Kremlin.
Schwarzenegger’s address is now trending on Russian Twitter, with many praising the way he humanised the people of Russia.
Lev Shlosber, an opposition politician in Russia, took to Telegram to show his appreciation to the American-Austrian actor, writing that the video was filmed “with respect towards us, Russian people”.
“Arnold Schwarzenegger has a unique ability to talk to anyone with persuasion, respect and on equal terms. Wits, power and justice. Have a listen. Think about it. Understand,” he continued said.
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During the ten-minute video, Schwarzenegger speaks directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to call off the invasion of Ukraine.
The former bodybuilder also called out the Kremlin for misinforming the public by telling them that the invasion was ordered to “denazify” Ukraine and protect Russian-speaking Ukrainians.
Schwarzenegger is one of the few people followed by the offical Kremlin Twitter accounts.
Russian journalist Anton Orekh also praised Arnie’s video because it didn’t contain any “Russophobia”.
“We are outcasts in the world.. Arnold is one of the few people who addressed Russians not as savage orcs, but as good people who have lost their ways,” Orekh said.
“I’m speaking to you today because there are things going on in the world that are being kept from you, terrible things that you should know about,” Schwarzenegger explained in the video.
“The strength and the heart of the Russian people have always inspired me,” he said. “That is why I hope that you will let me tell you the truth about the war in Ukraine.”
At the time of writing, the video has been viewed over 31 million times, liked by 1.2 million, and retweeted close to 400,000 times.
