Vitalik Buterin Slams Russia's 'Criminal Aggression' as Ukraine War Enters Fourth Year

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has taken a firm pro-Ukraine stance as the war reaches its fourth year, calling Russia's actions 'criminal aggression.'

Buterin, born in Russia and raised in Canada, published a lengthy post on X ahead of the February 24 anniversary, declaring his unequivocal support for Kyiv.

He rejected two common justifications for the invasion: Russia's claimed right to prevent NATO expansion near its borders, and the argument that Russian-speaking populations in Crimea and Donbas had a democratic right to join Russia.

Buterin acknowledged Western nations' past mistakes, but said none of these grievances could justify what happened in 2022. He pointed to specific events as evidence that the war's aims went far beyond protecting Donbas.