Press Release, 22.06.2017

Yekaterinburg oppositional Mayor Yevgeny Roizman, whose candidacy was officially nominated by Yabloko to run in the election of the Governor of Sverdlovsk region, said that he shared the ideas of the Time to Return Home campaign launched by Grigory Yavlinsky. The key idea of ​​the campaign is that Russia should stop spending federal budget funds on foreign policy ambitions and adventures (including the war in Syria), and allot these funds to the development of Russia’s economy and social sphere.

“This may not be accepted by all, but I fully support the campaign Time to Return Home, I think we should stop all the [adventures] abroad, and invest all our money, resources, and energy in our country and build good relations with their neighbours. This should be the task of any federal politician,” Yevgeny Roizman stressed.

Roizman recalled the events of 1979 of the USSR invasion into Afghanistan, “We had a precedent – our invasion of Afghanistan, which was a very important link in the chain of events that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. We have all seen it, observed it, and I do not want to see the same thing happen to my country again.”

According to Yabloko estimates, each week of the Syrian campaign costs Russia over one billion roubles. For example, one launch of the cruise missile Caliber costs 85 million roubles. This could suffice for an average salary of 3,203 kindergarten teachers, or 2,605 school teachers, or 1,905 university teachers, or 1,775 doctors, or 3,488 nurses, or 3,335 cultural workers, or 7,727 librarians, or an average pension of 6,860 retirees.

The campaign was launched this week. Party activists will collect signatures in support of the campaign over 50 cities in 38 Russian regions. All who sign under Yabloko’s initiative will receive a leaflet showing where the money spent on the military operation in Syria could go: how many hospitals, kindergartens, schools, bridges could be built, what an increase in the salary could be received by state employees, etc.

The main thesis of the campaign Time to Return Home will also become one of the key issues in the presidential election campaign by Grigory Yavlinsky, head of the Federal Political Committee of the party.

The collection of signatures under the initiative is also open on the party’s website.