A Russian diplomat in the country’s permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva stated Monday that he was resigning from his position due to disagreement with Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. This rare political resignation is not typical of the war.
Boris Bondarev, a Russian counsellor at Russia’s permanent mission to the UN, who worked on arms control and identified himself as a LinkedIn user, said to Reuters that he went to the mission “like any other Monday morning” and forwarded his resignation letter. Then, he walked out.
“Never have I been so ashamed of my country,” wrote Boris Bondarev, in a statement shared with diplomats in Geneva.
He said that he had begun to imagine it a few years back, but the magnitude of the disaster drove him to do it. This was in reference to Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine which began on February 24.
He stated that he had discussed his concerns regarding the invasion with senior diplomat staff many times. He said, “I was told not to speak out in order to avoid any ramifications.”
The Russian Permanent Mission to the UN did not immediately comment.
Bondarev wrote, “I studied to become a diplomat and have worked as a diplomat for 20 years.” “The Russian foreign ministry has been my family and home. I cannot continue to share in this bloody, witless, and completely unnecessary ignominy.”
Russia sent thousands of troops to Ukraine as part of a special operation it called “degrading its southern neighbour’s military capabilities” and to root out dangerous nationalists.
Russia has been subject to severe sanctions from the West, and Ukraine has received military assistance in response.
