LETTER: Crawford-Browne’s support of Putin is ruining World Beyond War

Does Terry Crawford-Browne really believe the nonsense he writes about Russian President Vladimir Putin? (“US and Nato assert global domination in Ukraine,” March 23).

Ever since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Crawford-Browne has been rehashing lies and distorting history, just like Putin. When he started on his propaganda journey, I thought it must be satire. Here is a man whose organisation preaches the gospel of peace, yet he seems to be on a serious mission to become Moscow’s unofficial mouthpiece.

Why is he sabotaging his own legacy as a man of truth? Why is the board of his organisation, World Beyond War, not disciplining him for bringing it into disrepute? Who will donate to this “world peace organisation” if its spokesperson supports a warmongering bully?

Do people who live under Putin’s rule, and who experience his leadership every day, agree with Crawford-Browne? To understand Putin through the eyes of his nation, I went through Mikhail Khodorkovsky's book, The Russia Conundrum. He has strong opinions about Putin: “… He is a dictator who must be stopped. For if we do not stop Putin in Ukraine he will lead us into global war.”

Then there is Olesya Khromeychuk, who writes in “The death of a soldier told by his sister” that “Putin’s statements on Ukrainian history, culture or language [are] simply a weapon of war.” 

Crawford-Browne is clearly blind to the truth. Pity there is no cure for self-delusion. 

Dr Lucas Ntyintyane
Via email

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