Russia's lawmaker demands withdrawal of troops from Ukraine; gets labelled as 'traitor'

A Russian official who demanded that President Vladimir Putin must end his brutal war in Ukraine was labelled as a “traitor” and was escorted out of a high-level meeting due to threats to his safety. Russia’s state affiliated press reports that a member of Moscow's Communist Party faction, Leonid Vasyukevich, publicly opposed the ongoing military intervention of President Putin during a meeting of the Legislative Assembly of Russia's Primorsky Krai in the far east. He has now been denied his voting rights and had to go into hiding.

Vasyukevich raised voice against Russia’s war on Ukraine on behalf of at least four party members. But his rare critique backfired as he condemned President Putin’s decision of what Kremlin describes a "special military operation. The Russian politician had also gone at lengths and signed an appeal to president Putin to stop the war.

"We understand that if our country does not stop the military operation, there will be even more orphans in our country," Vasyukevich reportedly said in his appeal to President of the Russian Federation.

"During the military operation, young people who could bring great benefit to our country die and become disabled,” he emphasized. "We demand the immediate withdrawal of the troops of the Russian Federation,” Communist Party’s member demanded. 

Backlash from Moscow’s officials for opposition of president Putin's war 

The incident was reported as a "provocation" by Russian state-run media, provoking a backlash from Moscow’s officials including from governor, Oleg Kozhemyako, who labelled Vasyukevich as a traitor for using “pro Ukrainian tone.” The Russia governor lambasted the politician of "defaming the Russian army and our defenders who are in the fight against Nazism.” Amidst rage and anger at the Russian politician’s demands of removing Russian Army from occupied Ukrainian territories, Vasyukevich and his colleague, Gennady Shulga had to be escorted. Russia's Communist Party vowed "tough action" against Vasyukevich and Shulga for speaking against the Russian Federation and “discrediting the honour” of its armed forces.

Chairman of the Legislative Assembly committee on regulations and deputy ethics of Russia, Vsevolod Romanov, derided Russia’s politician for opposing Ukraine military operation, saying “we cannot support this.” Both Vasyukevich and Shulga have "grossly violated the regulations, deviating from the issues of discussing the agenda," said the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly committee of Moscow.