Moscow Lawmakers Demand Putin Resign Over 'Hopelessly Outdated' Views That 'Hinder' Russia's Growth

Local Russian lawmakers in Moscow last week urged President Vladimir Putin to resign from his position over the invasion of Ukraine.

Municipal deputies in the Moscow district of Lomonosovsky on Sept. 8 posted an appeal on the district's website where they claimed that Putin's "outdated" views have thrown Russia back into the Cold War era. The local deputies said the war has forced many smart people to leave Russia, adding that it has now hindered the country from developing.

"The rhetoric that you and your subordinates are using has been riddled with intolerance and aggression for a long time, which in the end effectively threw our country back into the Cold War era. Russia has again begun to be feared and hated, we again threaten the whole world with nuclear weapons," the appeal read.

"In connection with the foregoing, we ask you to relieve yourself of your post due to the fact that your views, your management model are hopelessly outdated and hinder the development of Russia and its human potential," it stated.

A similar appeal was made earlier last week when municipal deputies from the Smolninsky District Council in St. Petersburg, Putin's hometown, issued a statement calling on the State Duma to remove the president from power. The deputies also urged the Russian parliament to charge Putin with treason over his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, leading to a massive loss of life and hindering the growth of the national economy.

"We believe that the decision made by President Putin to start the special military operation is detrimental to the security of Russia and its citizens," the statement read, according to a document tweeted out by Deputy Dmitry Palyuga. "The Council of the Smolninskoye Municipal District decided to appeal to the State Duma deputies with a proposal to bring charges of treason against President Putin in order to remove him from office."

In response, the lawmakers were notified by Russian police that they are facing legal charges for taking actions that discredit the Russian government, according to The Washington Post.

Since the war began in February, the Russian army has lost a total of 52,650 soldiers in combat. Moscow's troops also lost about $16 billion worth of war equipment just six months into the invasion.