A senior Kremlin official broke ranks by supporting peace in Ukraine and left his post as director of the “Russian Silicon Valley”

A senior Russian official has dared to publicly criticize the “special military operation” in Ukraine. He is the liberal Arkadi Dvorkovich, former deputy prime minister and director of the Skolkovo innovation center, who has been described as a “traitor” by the ruling United Russia party.

“While Russian citizens with weapons in their hands are fighting for the Russian homeland and people, others have taken sides with the enemy and are defending their interests,” Andrei Turchak, Secretary General of United Russia, denounced on his Telegram channel.

Turchak, considered a hawk in Russian politics, called to begin “self-purification” of Russian society with the “dishonorable” dismissal of the director of Skolkovo.

Due to criticism from the ruling party and increasing pressure, Dvorkovich announced on Friday his decision to leave the Skolkovo leadership.

“In the current circumstances” he finds it impossible to continue carrying out such work, which he combines with the presidency of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), according to a statement from that foundation.

In an interview with the American magazine Mother Jones, Dvorkovich stressed that he equally regretted the death of all those killed in the eight-year conflict in the Donbas between the Ukrainian Army and the pro-Russian militias.

The trigger for the criticism of Dvorkovich was not only his statements against hostilities, but his decision to remove Russia and Belarus from international chess competitions.

For the time being, Russian and Belarusian chess players will be able to compete on an individual level with the international flag, although FIDE could sanction them at any time.

“I dream of Ukrainian and Russian chess players competing again. Not against each other, but together,” insisted Dvorkovich, who said that he was “in a safe place with his family and friends.”

However, the Russian champion, Crimean Sergey Kariakin, considered his options to participate in the suitors tournament that will be held next June-July in Madrid and which grants the right to face the world champion, the Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, in 2023.

Kariakin, who defended the colors of Ukraine until 2009, when he received Russian citizenship, has denounced death threats for his support of Vladimir Putin.

“That is nothing other than the same national betrayal, the same fifth column that the president spoke of,” Turchak stressed.

He referred to Putin's statements about the existence of a fifth column and a caste of traitors who make money in Russia and live in the West.

“The most important thing is that a solid peace and a more just order be established on our planet once and for all, in which there is no place for Nazism or for the domination of some countries over others,” Dvorkovich said in turn.

Dvorkovich is almost the only senior official to retain some influence from the team of former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, who led the Kremlin between 2008 and 2012, when Putin served as prime minister.

Medvedev, who is currently deputy head of the Russian Security Council, supported the military campaign announced by Putin on 24 February and which has been condemned by the international community.

(With information from EFE)

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