"Putin Must Immediately Withdraw from Ukraine" ... Statement Released by Some Russian Regional Lawmakers

Communist Party Lawmaker Urges Troop Withdrawal from Ukraine
Earlier, Russian Diplomat Resigned in Protest Against Invasion

Pro-Russian Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) forces were moving tanks in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, on the 22nd (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Opposition party members of the Legislative Assembly of Russia's Far Eastern Primorsky Krai have issued a statement urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw troops from Ukraine. They expressed concern over the prolonged Ukraine war.

According to AFP on the 27th (local time), during the Primorsky Krai Legislative Assembly meeting, Communist Party member Leonid Bashkevich read a statement demanding "the immediate withdrawal of Russian soldiers." He emphasized, "If the military operation (in Ukraine) does not stop, our country will have even more orphans than now," adding, "Many have become disabled during the military operation. These are young people who could greatly contribute to our country."

The statement read by Bashkevich was signed by four assembly members including himself, though two of them later denied participating in the statement.

After Bashkevich delivered the statement, chaos erupted within the assembly. Oleg Kozhemyako, Governor of Primorsky Krai, and several assembly members attempted to stop Bashkevich's speech. During this process, Governor Kozhemyako called Bashkevich a "traitor" and accused him of "undermining the trust of the Russian military."

Immediately following the statement, the Primorsky Krai Legislative Assembly voted to revoke the speaking rights of Bashkevich and others for that day's meeting. The regional Communist Party leadership declared, "(Bashkevich and others) issued the statement without prior agreement with the party," and vowed to "take the strictest measures."

Recently, there has been public opposition within Russia regarding the prolonged Ukraine war. Earlier on the 23rd, Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev, stationed in Geneva, Switzerland, submitted his resignation to the Russian mission in Geneva in protest of the invasion of Ukraine.

In a letter sent to AP and others that day, Bondarev stated, "During my 20-year diplomatic career, I have witnessed various shifts in our foreign policy," but added, "There has never been a time when I was as ashamed of my homeland as on February 24, when Russia launched the invasion of Ukraine. As a public official, I must take responsibility for that." He further criticized, "The aggressive war initiated by Putin against Ukraine and, in fact, the entire Western world is not only a crime against the Ukrainian people but perhaps the most serious crime against the Russian people as well."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.