“Whoever speaks up and acts against [Vladimir] Putin and his war should be welcomed and supported in Europe,” argues Sergei Guriev, an economics professor at Sciences Po, in a guest essay for The Economist
VLADIMIR PUTIN’S war is an unimaginable tragedy for Ukraine and Ukrainians. Thousands have been killed, millions displaced and cities, roads and factories are in ruins. The scale of this tragedyeclipses the fact that, in addition to Ukraine, Mr Putin has also destroyed the livelihoods of many Russians.
Yet many Russians, particularly those who fled Mr Putin’s regime, deserve support. They left their country abruptly, without making any arrangements or preparations. They did not have time to secure jobs and long-term visas, making it difficult to rent an apartment or open a bank account in the West. Visa and Mastercard have cut all links with Russian banks, so many émigrés’ credit cards do not work outside Russia.
Do all Russians bear a responsibility for this war? This is the 145m-people question. The war resulting from the annexation of Crimea in 2014 resulted in the deaths of about 14,000 people in eastern Ukraine and the displacement of about 1.5m Ukrainians. Yet back then I would often hear: “I have never voted for Putin; I fought him as much as I could, so I do not feel responsible for Crimea and Donbas.” The latest invasion has changed everything.
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