Arnold Schwarzenegger has posted a video message to Twitter urging Russians to push back against the pro-war narrative being presented by the Russian government.
In a clip which runs for over nine minutes – which has been viewed over a million times in little more than two hours – Schwarzenegger speaks of his love for Russia and recalls trips to the country during his career as a bodybuilder.
The film star and former California governor tells Russians that they are “not being told the truth about the consequences of this war” and informs them that “bombs are raining down on innocent civilians”.
Listing a host of Russian attacks against Ukrainian cities, Schwarzenegger tells Russians that as a result of the humanitarian crisis Vladimir Putin’s invasion has unleashed “Russia is now isolated from the society of nations”.
He adds that “thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed” after being caught between Ukrainian forces “fighting for their homeland and the Russian leadership fighting for conquest”.
The Terminator star concludes by heaping praise on the thousands of Russia protesters detained by police in recent weeks, telling them “the world has seen your bravery”, adding “you are my heroes”.
