Thread by @pevchikh

1/16 You've heard a million times that sanctions against Putin's regime don't work. That Putin isn't actually affected by them. That's right because he isn't.The same approach is tried over and over for almost 2 years, yielding no results. How about I suggest something different?

2/16 Something that might actually work. It's simple, it's quick, and it's going to hurt Putin. Let me explain. In March 2024, there will be a presidential 'election' in Russia. God knows why, but it is still very important for Putin to pretend he is democratically elected.

3/16 That's why every now and then we have these sham 'elections'. Everybody knows it's fake, but they still do it. And along the campaign trail, we see this. People I have circled are very famous Russian celebrities; they stand behind Putin and show their love and support.

4/16 They aren't just standing there for a photoshoot. They have an official job title - an 'AUTHORISED REPRESENTATIVE.' Russian electoral law designates them as the primary campaigners for the candidate, using their merit, authority, and fame to persuade people to vote.

5/16 This guy here requires no introduction. But during the electoral campaign, Ovechkin isn't just a Putin supporter. He is an 'authorised representative.' He has a special ID, and his name is on an official list alongside other 500 people chosen to campaign for Putin.

6/16 The RT head, Simonyan, is also an authorized representative. So is Piotrovsky,the head of Hermitage Museum, and so is a Russian rapper Timati, who has 20m followers. It's a diverse crowd.They want people to think: 'I trust this celebrity; if he is on the Putin team, so am I'

7/16 In exchange for their support for Putin and the war, the authorised representatives receive state awards, promotions, contracts, airtime, and whatever else will please them. It isn't all just for love; it's a pragmatic transaction.

8/16 The list of authorised representatives differs every year. Actually, the President's administration is currently looking for the new 500 people to join. So what if the EU were to PREEMPTIVELY announce that whoever joins Putin's list would immediately be sanctioned?

9/16 If you are on the officially published list, you are done. Sanctioned. No entry to the EU, no visas, no bank accounts, your foreign assets are frozen. If you campaign for Putin and his war, you aren't welcome in Europe. Full stop.

10/16 What if the UK and the US do the same? I'll tell what will happen. Putin will be standing on the stage alone. Or surrounded by a crowd of extras. Because his 'authorised representatives' actually have things to lose.

11/16 If you are sanctioned, you won't have your world tour, you won't make money performing at an oligarch's son's wedding in St. Tropez. You won't be able to earn anything outside Russia. Isn't this a fair price to pay for supporting Putin in 2023? I believe it is.

12/16 So if the EU announces that it WILL sanction every single person on the official 'authorised representatives' list, a lot of celebrities just won't sign up for this campaign. They will have to hide or come up with masterful excuses, pretend to be sick or dead to avoid it.

13/16 It's one thing to change your profile picture and say you are on the Putin Team. It's a completely different thing to actually lose everything, including your bank accounts, for participating in Putin's 'elections' campaign. We must increase the cost of such a decision.

14/16 This measure is SIMPLE. There is a legal base to do it; the EU already sanctions people for publicly voicing support for Putin's regime. All we need is a clear announcement, an affirmation that IF you choose to join Putin's Team, you are out.

15/16 I've already sent out 27 letters to the President of the 🇪🇺 Parliament, heads of political groups and others. Same letters will be sent to the UK&US. I am calling for your support now. Please retweet this, let's make sure everyone in charge of sanctions sees this thread.

16/16 For once, we have a relatively simple solution that would make Putin's 're-election' more painful. Something different from the usual sanctions packages that everyone is tired of. Let's do it.
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