'Warmongering, lies and hatred': Russian diplomat in Geneva resigns over Ukraine invasion
Also: Russian diplomat quits over war in Ukraine (BBC)
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Source: The Guardian
‘Warmongering, lies and hatred’: Russian diplomat in Geneva resigns over Ukraine invasion
Boris Bondarev issues public statement saying: ‘Never have I been so ashamed of my country’
Andrew Roth, Moscow correspondent
Mon 23 May 2022 17.16 BST
Last modified on Mon 23 May 2022 23.41 BST
A veteran Russian diplomat in Geneva has resigned over his country’s invasion of Ukraine in a rare political protest from within the Russian foreign policy establishment.
Boris Bondarev, a counsellor at the Russian permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva, wrote in a public statement: “Never have I been so ashamed of my country.”
“Today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not about diplomacy,” wrote the diplomat, a 20-year veteran of the Russian foreign ministry. “It is all about warmongering, lies and hatred. It serves interests of few, the very few people thus contributing to further isolation and degradation of my country. Russia no longer has allies, and there is no one to blame but its reckless and ill-conceived policy.”
Bondarev is the highest-level diplomat yet to resign publicly from the Russian foreign ministry over the war, which began in February. In a telephone interview with the Guardian, Bondarev confirmed that he had written the statement and submitted his letter of resignation on Monday.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/23/warmongering-lies-and-hatred-russian-diplomat-in-geneva-resigns-over-ukraine-invasion
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Source: BBC
Russian diplomat quits over war in Ukraine
By Flora Drury
BBC
23 May 2022
A Russian diplomat has quit his job in protest at the "bloody, witless" war "unleashed by Putin against Ukraine".
Boris Bondarev, whose LinkedIn says he worked at the Russian mission to the UN in Geneva, told the BBC he knew his decision to speak out may mean the Kremlin now considers him a traitor.
But he stood by his statement which described the war as "a crime against the Ukrainian people" and "the people of Russia".
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In the letter posted on social media and shared with fellow diplomats, Mr Bondarev explained he had chosen to end his 20-year career in the service because he could no "longer share in this bloody, witless and absolutely needless ignominy".
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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61555390
