Conservative radio legend Michael Savage issued a direct appeal for peace to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday while condemning those on the left fighting to protect the borders, language and culture of Ukraine “while your own country is being overrun.”
Savage said he decided to make a personal plea to the Russian president because “the world is in a perilous state [as] everyone is screaming for war and more war and very few are calling for peace.”
“The lunatics in the European Union, the lunatics in NATO, are arming themselves to the teeth,” he said.
“Will that lead to peace?” he asked. “When has arming yourself to the teeth ever led to peace?”
He also insisted “this nightmare has to end,” warning that “unless something is done, this bloodbath will get out of control and we will have either a full-blown World War III or a short version, the annotated version.”
Pre-empting detractors, Savage claimed he did not think his appeal alone would “change the course of human history,” but rather “if one billion of us were to think peace and appeal to Mr. Putin for peace, we just might have a chance to save the world from this lunacy.”
“Like lemmings, we’re rushing over the cliff of insanity,” he said.
Addressing President Putin, Savage said as follows:
To save the world from what the political parties have caused, Mr. Putin, I personally — one man — I’m appealing to you and I hope a billion others appeal for peace, to save the world from what the political parties in this world have created and caused.
This nightmare has to end. Unless something is done, this bloodbath will get out of control. Diplomats are supposed to work for peace, instead, they’re working for war.
Mr. Putin, it’s said that fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Jesus said ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’ The great Jewish sage Maimonides in the 1300s said ‘He who saves a single life it is as though he has saved the entire world.’
Mr. Putin, a dove of peace would not ask for the surrender of Ukraine, that’s not what I’m appealing for, Mr. Putin. President Putin, you yourself have said Ukraine is part of Russia and the Ukrainian people are just like Russians. You said they are Russians. Mr. Putin, would you expect your own people to surrender?
For the sake of peace, to save the lives of Russians and Ukrainians, give peace a chance.
President Putin, the world is watching. You alone have the power to save the world or destroy the world. Do you choose for the world death or life? Do you choose Jesus or ashes?
Mr. Putin, like Moses you have the power to part the Red Sea and lead the world to safety, to peace. Frankly, only you can do it.
This is an appeal for all and none. It’s written only on my behalf. I do not pretend to speak for others. My belief and hope, Mr. Putin, is that if one billion of us appealed for peace, we could possibly stop this mad rush towards World War III.
Mr. Putin, please choose life.
In a message to his followers, Savage, who is the son of a Russian immigrant, claimed many are misinformed on the matter.
“Many of you are mistaken and think by appealing to Mr. Putin we are kowtowing to a Hitler,” he said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
“You’ve been brainwashed,” he added.
He also called out left-wing “liars” for their hypocrisy.
“All of you running around with your virtue signaling ‘F— Putin’ bumper stickers, you left-wing liars, you pretended you were anti-war when America was at war and now what you want is blood and war, you want death and destruction,” he said.
The New York Times best-selling author, who has long described “borders, language, and culture” as the three pillars that define a nation, then contrasted the left’s concern with Ukraine with its lack of regard for America.
“All you good leftists who are willing to have other people’s sons and husbands and brothers and uncles die for your stupidity to protect the borders, language and culture of Ukraine — a place you don’t even know where it is — while your own country is being overrun, your borders have been melted down, your language has been bastardized and your culture has been stepped on — and where were you when this happened? You were cheering it on,” he said.
The conservative radio host argued “insults of world leaders never worked.”
“Mao Zedong, the greatest butcher in the history of the world who killed 50 to 60 million of his own people, even President Nixon reached out to him and spoke of him in a dignified manner to stop a nuclear war,” he said.
“Stalin, one of the greatest butchers in history, was fondly called ‘Uncle Joe’ by FDR and spoken of nicely by u— not because they liked Stalin but because they appealed to Stalin,” he added.
Turning to those who “live in a little world of Fox News and like to think that your keyboard warriors,” Savage had harsh words.
“I tell you you are of no significance in this world,” he said.
He concluded by suggesting that “all of us have to think of and dream of and work for one thing only — peace, peace, peace.”
“Not more weapons, not airplanes, not tanks, not bombs — they kill and they will not stop him,” he added. “Only he can stop himself. Only he can come to a revelation of how to make this work for both parties.”
Hoping the Russian president would hear his message, Savage said he also hoped Putin “understands that I’m one of a billion people on this earth who want peace, not war.”
Last month, Savage ripped “left-wing racists” for making the issue of Ukrainian refugees about race as he welcomed highly skilled Ukrainians fleeing war, contrasting them with “illegals” from Central America seeking a “welfare cushion to land on.”
Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.