In the Russian cities of Moscow and St Petersburg, demonstrations have also taken place to oppose President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to use military force in Ukraine.<br /><br />Around 40 protesters were reportedly arrested for unspecified reasons during the rally.<br /><br />Euronews asked prominent writer and human rights advocate, Grigory Chkhartishvili, known widely by his pdeudonym “Boris Akunin”, for his view on the situation between Russia and Ukraine.<br /><br />“I am really horrified by the reckless scheme Vladimir Putin is hatching in front of us,” he said. <br /><br />“It does not just threaten to cause problems between our two countries and bloodshed between brothers, but I think our country will pay an exceptionally high price to get out of the situation and it will be difficult to save face.<br /><br />This story is as old as the world. A petty military victory is a distraction from what the Russian authorities plan to do in Russia, to their own people. They want to turn the screws on the Russian people and dispose of the opposition. <br /><br />But I don’t think it will be the victory he hopes for. He will get nothing.”
