Russian media mogul owner of Evening Standard uses his newspaper to appeal to Putin ‘to save the world from annihilation’

Russian billionaire Evgeny Lebedev has used his newspaper the Evening Standard to appeal to Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine.

The crossbench peer said, “I plead with you to use today’s negotiations to bring this terrible conflict in Ukraine to an end.”

In a statement published alongside a photograph of a paramedic performing CPR on a girl, Lord Lebedev said, “On this page are the final minutes of a six-year-old child fatally injured by shells that struck her Mariupol apartment block on Sunday.

“She is still wearing her pink jacket as medics fight to save her. But it is too late. Other children, and other families, are suffering similar fates across Ukraine.

''President Putin, please stop this war.''
The Evening Standard's proprietor, @mrevgenylebedev, sends a personal plea to the Russian leader

Plea to President Putin: https://t.co/1HqvJ3uFJH pic.twitter.com/RzEVrl2vIN

— Evening Standard (@standardnews) February 28, 2022

“As a Russian citizen I plead with you to stop Russians killing their Ukrainian brothers and sisters.”

“As a British citizen I ask you to save Europe from war.

WAs a Russian patriot I plead that you prevent any more young Russian soldiers from dying needlessly.

“As a citizen of the world I ask you to save the world from annihilation.”

On Monday the Interfax news agency reported that Russia’s Defence Ministry said their strategic missile forces and Northern and Pacific fleets had been placed on “enhanced combat duty.”

It added that this was in line with an order from President Putin.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told the Russian President that “shifts on duty at the command posts of the Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific Fleets, and the Long-Range Aviation Command began to carry out combat duty with reinforced personnel,” Interfax quoted the Ministry as saying.