Arnold Schwarzenegger shared a 9-minute video on his social media feeds. In it, he talks about the war in Ukraine, addressing the Russian people and his fond experience with Russia.
The video starts with Schwarzenegger sharing the story of his biggest hero, Yury Petrovich Vlasov, a Russian heavyweight weight lifter who was Schwarzenegger’s hero for many years. They met at the World Weightlifting Championship in 1961, a moment that impacted Schwarzenegger’s future and choice in career. “All of the sudden, there I was, a 14-year-old boy standing in front of the strongest man in the world. I couldn’t believe it. He reached out to shake my hand. I still had a boy’s hand. He had this powerful man’s hand that swallowed mine. But he was kind, and he smiled at me. I will never forget that day.”
That meeting inspired Schwarzenegger paste Petrovich’s image above his bed, something that upset his father, who, like many, was prejudiced against Russians. “He got really angry, and we argued back and forth. He didn’t like Russians because of his experience in the Second World War,“ he said. ”You see, he was injured at Leningrad, where the Nazi army that he was part of did vicious harm to the great city and its great people.“But I did not take the photograph down, no. Because it didn’t matter to me what flag Yury Vlasov carried.”
Schwarzenegger said he’s traveled to Russia several times in his life, loving the country and its people more with each visit. He then said that he hoped Russians would listen to him as he relayed the truth of what’s going on, one that has been hidden by the Russian government, which has been spreading lies and propaganda.
“I know that your government has told you that this is a war to denazify Ukraine. Denazify Ukraine? This is not true. Ukraine is a country with a Jewish president, a Jewish president I might add, whose father’s three brothers were all murdered by the Nazis. You see, Ukraine did not start this war. Neither did nationalists or Nazis. Those in power in the Kremlin started this war. This is not the Russian people’s war,” he said.
Schwarzenegger asked Russian soldiers to reconsider their stance, returning to the topic of his father, who lived his life wounded. “He was broken, physically and mentally. He lived the rest of his life in pain. I don’t want you to be broken like my father,” he said. He concluded his speech by decrying the people in power in the Kremlin and asking President Putin to reconsider his actions. ”You started this war, you’re leading this war, you can stop this war.“
Lastly, he sent a message to the Russian people he loved and admired. “You have been arrested. You have been jailed and you have been beaten. You are my new heroes. You have the strength of Yury Petrovich Vlasov. You have the true heart of Russia. My dear Russian friends, may God bless you all,” he said.
Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues. The first attack was on February 24th and marked the first major European conflict in years. Since, thousands of Ukranians have fled the country. President Volodomyr Zelenskyy has called for peace talks while urging his country to fight back.
