Telegram/Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking in a video address published on March 24.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Russians to leave their country so they could stop giving money to the country's invasion of Ukraine through their taxes.
In a video address he shared on Telegram early on Thursday morning, Zelenskyy told Russians, "If you can leave Russia so as not to give your taxes to the war, do it."
Zelenskyy said he wanted to speak directly to Russian people, who are mostly able to access only censored information about the war.
"I am sure that there are many of you who are disgusted by the policy of your state," Zelenskyy said.
He continued: "Who are already just sick of what you see on TV. Of the lies of your propagandists on the internet. Propagandists who are paid by your taxes.
"And they all lie about the war, which is paid for by your taxes. And which makes all the citizens of Russia poorer. Poorer every day. Isn't that stupid? Your state collects taxes from you to make you poorer. To isolate you from the world. To make it easier for them to control you. And easier to send you to the war to die."
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had never threatened Russia's security, and that it was trying to stop the war.
He said: "And when we succeed — it will certainly happen — you will be sure of at least one thing: Your children will no longer be sent to die on our land, on our territory. Therefore you, the citizens of Russia, are also interested in peace.
"Save your sons from the war. Tell the truth about the war. And if you can leave Russia so as not to give your taxes to the war, do it."
Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly appealed to Russian people to oppose the war, highlighting the cost in lives to their country.
Thousands of people have indeed tried to flee Russia since it started its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Insider previously reported.
Some Russians who left told Insider's Sophia Ankel that they left because they were afraid of crackdowns in the country, and they were scared of Russia's economic situation after so many countries implemented sanctions over the invasion.
