Russia fires back at Arnie after video plea
<p dir="ltr">Russian state media has declared war against Arnold Schwarzenegger following his message to President Vladimir Putin.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The 74-year-old <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/arnold-schwarzenegger-sends-message-to-putin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared a video</a> on social media, in which he described his love for Russia and its people while also criticising Putin and the Kremlin since the war began on February 24.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“To President Putin, I say, you started this war. You are leading this war. You can stop this war,” Schwarzenegger said in the clip.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Arnie shared the video far and wide for even Russians to see, despite the state blocking Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.</p>
<p dir="ltr">However, his message reached Russians via Telegram and the state fired back at Arnie for his “Russophobia”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“That face is the cover page of American imperialism and colonialism, not the caricature image of Uncle Sam, but this Schwarz, in a Hollywood production.” host Vadim Gigin snapped on state TV show <em>Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovievon</em>, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-state-tv-just-declared-war-on-arnold-schwarzenegger?ref=scroll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Beast</a> reported.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“He, in California, will tell us, who lives here… the truth?! That is their approach towards us.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Gigin then referred to the second half of Arnie’s video, in which he references the cup gifted to him by champion weightlifter Yury Vlasov.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Vlasov couldn’t transfer any of his brain [to Schwarzenegger] with his handshake and the gifted cup,” he said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Co-host Vladimir Soloviev joined in, saying: “Schwarzenegger twice travelled to Iraq to support the American troops and never tried to tell the Iraqi people why they’re being destroyed.”</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Russian powerlifter champion Maryana Naumova also attacked the American actor saying he is “living in an alternative, imaginary reality.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">She then referred the actor to his film <em>Terminator</em> explaining what the Russian forces are doing in Ukraine.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Do you remember how in the second part of the Terminator your hero goes back in time to prevent the creation of Skynet, which would bring the death of all mankind?” she began.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Russia's special military operation does not aim to destroy the Ukrainian people.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It is aimed at the neo-Nazi Skynet, which over the years has completely subjugated Ukraine and was about to turn into an uncontrollable monster, dangerous for all of its neighbors, not only for us... Don’t side with Skynet, Terminator.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Russian author Zakhar Prilepin also took spite of Arnie’s message and wrote on his Telegram channel: “Schwarzenegger, who killed three million Russians in his films, told the Russian people how much he loves us and how wrong we are about Ukraine”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“This Austrian, the son of his father, who served in the SS and was wounded near Leningrad, is trying to act as the good cop,” he said, adding that the US was “pumping Ukraine full of weapons to massacre the Russians”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Arnie, you are a predator and an enemy,” he wrote.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>