'Your futures are being sacrificed for a senseless war': Arnold Schwarzenegger appeals to Russian people against the invasion of Ukraine

 Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a video message to the Russian people to appeal to them to not believe war propaganda and reject the invasion of Ukraine.

The video went viral online with more than 11 million views on Twitter.

"I'm speaking to you today because there are things that are going on in the world that are being kept from you, terrible things that you should know about," said Schwarzenegger.

He went on to relate his personal ties to Russia and how he grew to respect and love the country since he had been 15 years old.

"I know that your government has told you that this is a war to denazify Ukraine. Denazify Ukraine? This is not true! Ukraine is a country with a Jewish president, a Jewish president I might add, whose father's three brothers were all murdered by the Nazis," Schwarzenegger continued.

"You see, Ukraine didn't start this war. Neither did nationalists or Nazis. Those in power in the Kremlin started this war. This is not the Russian people's war," he added. 

Schwarzenegger praised the thousands of Russians who risked imprisonment and worse to protest in the streets against the war. He then addressed the Russian soldiers and told them they were being told lies by the Russian government. 

"Your lives, your limbs, and your futures are being sacrificed for a senseless war condemned by the entire world," Schwarzenegger said.

He also compared the lies of the Russian government to that of the Nazis and talked about how his father felt guilty for fighting on the side of the Nazis.

"He lived the rest of his life in pain," Schwarzenegger explained. "Pain from a broken back. Pain from the shrapnel that always reminded him of those terrible years. And pain from the guilt that he felt."

22 days since the initial invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military continues to bomb major cities in the former Soviet republic. It is estimated that as many as 10,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the fighting.

Schwarzenegger successfully ran for governor of California as a Republican in 2003 after gaining fame as a Hollywood actor.

Here's the full video of Schwarzenegger's message:

A message to the Russian peoplewww.youtube.com