Opinion: I was blacklisted by Putin, but I’m no Russophobe | Geoffrey Robertson
and soldiers who rape and torture. Yet they move freely on our diplomatic circuit, have immunities and Facebook pages which pump out Vladimir Putin’s lies. We should give them an option, either to defect or else declare themPutin’s war has caused massive damage not only to the people of Ukraine.
These opinions do not make me “Russophobic”. On the contrary, my heart goes out to the thousands of Russians – mainly young and with university degrees – who can now be found in the internet cafes of Armenia and Georgia. They are courageous refugees who at great personal sacrifice have refused to remain to share the political guilt of the Russian state. Australians could best help the war effort by taking them as immigrants.That war cannot be won with weapons.
Being blacklisted from the Kremlin is a tiny tit-for-tat. I cannot deny that not being able to visit Russia is irritatingI have already been to Red Square to see Lenin stuffed and mounted, although I shall now have to scrub opera in St Petersburg off my bucket list. But it is good to know that my small efforts for peace have at least been recognised – if only by bad people under diplomatic cover, who deserve to be kicked out of this country.
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