'Ashamed' Top Russian Diplomat Leaves United Nations Over Putin's 'Warmongering'

[Beastly Boy]

Source: Daily Beast

The chief of the Russian mission to the United Nations in Geneva has resigned his post in shame with a damning hate letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine not only a crime against the people of Ukraine, but perhaps "the most serious crime against the people of Russia, with a bold letter Z crossing out all hopes and prospects for a prosperous free society in our country."

Boris Bondarev had worked at Russia's foreign ministry since 2002, first in Moscow and then in Geneva, during which he said "the level of lies and unprofessionalism in the work of the Foreign Ministry has been increasing all the time."

--snip--

Bondarev is the first high-level foreign diplomat to bail over the war, and said that despite his 20 years in Russia's service, he "simply cannot any longer share in this bloody, witless, and absolutely needless ignominy."

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/boris-bondarev-ashamed-russian-diplomat-quits-chief-united-nations-role-over-putins-warmongering?ref=home

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The Putin regime is crumbling from within, now in a very public way.

On edit: this news story was previously reported in GD: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216717462

Thanks, Femmedem!

[Hoyt]

1. Excellent. That takes some serious guts.

[secondwind]

2. There will be more of this, hopefully .... am guessing this fella had everything in place before

he resigned... Putin doesn't like "traitors"...

I wish him well, and hope he stays safe.

[onetexan]

9. First thing that came to mind while i read this. This is a Russian with a conscience. May others

follow in his stead of true courage & strength of conviction to do the right thing.

[Tommymac]

14. He needs to watch what he eats. nt

[BadGimp]

3. This does seem significant!

eom

[zentrum]

4. I wonder if...

...there are any checks and balances on who controls the nuclear button in Russia.

[Tommymac]

15. I heard the button has been recently updated with an American model straight from the US Capitol

It was obtained by fiat in January 2020. One owner, a lady US Congress person...hardly used at all.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

5. Boris should avoid fifth-floor balconies. nt

[electric_blue68]

7. And tea. Hopefully he'll get some where safe w family

[C_U_L8R]

6. Finally, a Russian shows some courage

May he encourage millions more

[HUAJIAO]

8. Now if only we can get some republicans to show some courage...

[infullview]

10. I'm sure that Putin will be keen to make another example of Boris by whatever means.

[Akoto]

11. I applaud his bravery. Hope he had everything lined up beforehand.

I hate to think such a thought, but I do hope that he had some kind of asylum/witness protection program equivalent. Historically, people of note who make very public, very blunt statements like these tend to fall off tall buildings or have strange encounters with radioactive substances.

We need people like him, though. People of influence and power from Russia who will speak just as bluntly as Bondarev. I almost wish he hadn't resigned and would instead have remained to continue speaking. Unfortunately, Russia would just have recalled (and then executed, probably) him.

[TygrBright]

12. Putin may have reached a level of incapacity (physically) that made this possible. n/t

[johnnyplankton]

13. Even Boris Badenov is Revolting...

Will Natasha be Next?

[Beastly Boy]

16. I think Natasha instigated the whole thing. She has a history with the Fearless Leader.

From the Rocky and Bullwinkle Wiki:

Like other Pottsylvanians, Natasha fears Fearless Leader. However, she holds no loyalty towards him, and has helped Boris double cross him in the past. She also has trash-talked Fearless Leader behind his back, with a notable example occurring in "Banana Formula".

https://rockyandbullwinkle.fandom.com/wiki/Natasha_Fatale

She is just more cautious than Boris. Putin can't be happy about this.

[LiberalLovinLug]

17. "a bold letter Z crossing out all hopes and prospects for a prosperous free society in our country"

He speaks with such brutal efficiency in his accusations against Putin. So right.

Putin just seethed with hatred at how Western culture was infiltrating Russian society. From MacDonalds on out. He wants to reclaim some past when Russia was isolated...by choice. When they thumbed their noses at the West like North Korea is now. They could make their own cars, and other products thank you very much. And he believed that reuniting the USSR was worth any kind of new Western alienation.

But more and more of these diplomats will resign. More average Russians will become more aware. And they will see, like the Ukraine people have realized, that they prefer the open market, freedom to choose, Western culture.

It's sad that when this war finally ends, the Russian people themselves will, just at the same time be realizing the extent of their own countries war crimes, and have to pay for that. It will be a long time now for their society to enter back into the civilized world and participate as a respected partner.

[C Moon]

18. "the level of lies and unprofessionalism...has been increasing all the time."

Sounds like the gop, to me.

[Evolve Dammit]

19. "Ashamed" is a good start for the utter destruction of Ukraine and murder in Russia's name.