GENEVA (AN) — A Russian diplomat in Geneva resigned in protest on Monday after posting a public apology for his nation's invasion of Ukraine, calling it "a crime against the Ukrainian people."
Boris Bondarev's viral LinkedIn post called his resignation as counselor at Russia's Mission to the United Nations "long overdue" since Russian President Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine on February 24.
"Enough is enough," he wrote. "For 20 years of my diplomatic career, I have seen different turns of our foreign policy, but never have I been so ashamed of my country as on February 24 of this year. The aggressive war unleashed by Putin against Ukraine, and in fact against the entire Western world, is not only a crime against the Ukrainian people, but also, 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."
The diplomat's courage to speak out in spite of Putin's crackdown on dissent, including making it crime to spead "false information" about the war, made for headlines around the world. Bondarev confirmed to The Associated Press he handed his resignation letter to Russia's U.N. Ambassador Gennady Gatilov, and plans to stay in Geneva.
Bondarev took aim at the Russian ruling class, saying "those who conceived this war want only one thing — to remain in power forever, live in pompous tasteless palaces, sail on yachts comparable in tonnage and cost to the entire Russian Navy, enjoying unlimited power and complete impunity. To achieve that they are willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes. Thousands of Russians and Ukrainians have already died just for this."
'Absolutely needless ignominy'
Bondarev expressed regret that during his past 20 years of diplomatic work for Russia's Foreign Ministry "the level of lies and unprofessionalism ... has been increasing all the time. However, in most recent years, this has become simply catastrophic. Instead of unbiased information, impartial analysis and sober forecasting, there are propaganda clichés in the spirit of Soviet newspapers of the 1930s. A system has been built that deceives itself."
The foreign ministry now seems bent on "warmongering, lies and hatred," said Bondarev, and serves only the interests of "very few people, thus contributing to further isolation and degradation" of Russia, which "no longer has allies, and there is no one to blame but its reckless and ill-conceived policy."
Bondarev has been a Russian diplomat since 2002 and specializes in nonproliferation and sanctions policy, according to his LinkedIn profile.
From 2013 to 2019 he headed Russia's delegation to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) — a multilateral export control regime among 35 member nations seeking to limit proliferation of missiles and missile technology — and to the Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC), another instrument against the spread of ballistic missiles. Later, he served as a counselor at the mission for arms control, disarmament, nonproliferation and export control.
"I simply cannot any longer share in this bloody, witless and absolutely needless ignominy," he summed up. "Job offers are welcome."
Hillel Neuer, executive director of Geneva-based U.N. Watch, said in response to Bondarev's resignation that all other Russian diplomats worldwide "should follow his moral example and resign.” U.N. Watch and several Swiss media outlets also reported without detail that Bondarev had defected from Russia.
