We recognize all forms of forceful resistance to Putinism on the part of the Russians who have decided to take this path, provided that it is not directed against the civilian population.
The war of Putin’s Russian Federation against Ukraine is becoming protracted, causing more and more damage to Ukraine and taking more and more lives of its patriots. This war will continue for some time to come, as the Russian dictator is unwilling to yield, clawing his teeth into the captured Ukrainian territories and continuing to hold them at the cost of thousands of human lives. Realizing that defeat in the war could lead to the fall of his regime, he is desperately trying to find a way out of the impasse he has driven himself into. Finding himself internationally isolated, he frantically seeks allies, throwing himself into the arms of other dictatorships in search of support. Before our eyes, two opposing blocs (the Free World and the alliance of dictatorships) are forming in this war and are directly confronting each other.
Putin’s totalitarian allies will help him stay afloat and keep the war going for some time to come. Which means that the greater must be the efforts of the Free World and all its allies to defeat Putinism in Ukraine. We too are part of this common front of struggle, and much depends on us. In these conditions, we must categorically reject any possibilities for collaboration with the regime or its individual institutions.
The Free Russia Forum continues to consistently defend the three basic principles laid down in its program documents: 1) the war unleashed by Putin is criminal; 2) Putin’s regime is illegitimate; 3) unconditional recognition of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, including all captured and occupied territories. However, not all of our allies in the Russian opposition correctly understand these principles, which requires their further clarification. In order to clarify and develop these principles, we consider it necessary to fix the following.
We categorically oppose any form of cooperation with the criminal Putin regime, including participation in simulated electoral procedures that strengthen the regime and participation in the activities of structures affiliated with the regime. It is unacceptable for the opposition and its individual representatives to participate in the Kremlin’s farce called “elections”. Membership in all sorts of presidential and near-presidential councils and other similar structures cannot be morally justified.
The Free Russia Forum continues its work in the sanctions area, maintaining our Putin’s List, which is replenished with new figures. At the same time, our priority in this work against the backdrop of the war is to identify the war criminals of Putin’s regime, as well as all those who in one form or another work for the war, including propagandists at various levels: from regular guests of TV shows on federal channels to editors and authors of Z-type Telegram channels.
At the same time, we believe that the current sanctions policy of the countries of the Free World can be adjusted for the better in order to bring us all closer to the desired goal – the victory of Ukraine and the subsequent liberation of Russia. We are convinced that Putin’s Russia’s war against Ukraine is fueled not only by purely military resources, but also by other (intellectual, financial) resources. Our task is to “emasculate” Putin’s regime by depriving it of these resources. This means that we should welcome the exodus from Russia of the carriers of these resources and promote such an exodus. The more qualified, educated, highly paid personnel leave Russia, the less Putin’s state will have the resources to continue the war.
However, the policy of depleting the Putin regime’s resources should not be pursued indiscriminately, without regard to the political views of those who leave. The conditions for Russians to freely enter the Free World should be public renunciation of Putinism, declaration of the war as criminal and unconditional recognition of the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
War dictates its own rules, including the rules of political struggle. What was considered unacceptable in peacetime becomes acceptable and even necessary now. We call on all our supporters to provide priority assistance to the growing volunteer units of Russian citizens fighting against Putinism and to Russian volunteers at the front. We support the armed struggle of the AFU against the occupiers, both in the form of open military confrontation on the battlefield and in the form of sabotage work in the occupied Ukrainian and Russian territories. Moreover, we recognize all forms of forceful resistance to Putinism on the part of the Russians themselves who have decided to take this path, provided that it is not directed against the civilian population.
The solidarity of all participants of the anti-Putin front, the efforts of the Free World to support Ukraine and the courage of its defenders will be the key to the realization of our goals expressed in the slogan “Victory for Ukraine, Freedom for Russia”.
Participants of the Free Russia Forum
