Putin makes antisemitic statement about Zelenskyy: Ukraine reacts
Vladimir Putin (Photo: Getty Images)
The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin states that "Western curators have placed an ethnic Jew at the helm of modern Ukraine," referring to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Russian propaganda media.
What Putin said
In an interview with a Russian television channel, Putin claimed that the West had supposedly placed an "ethnic Jew at the helm of modern Ukraine" to cover up the "anti-human essence" of Ukrainians.
"This makes the situation extremely disgusting, as an ethnic Jew is covering up the glorification of Nazism and those who once led the Holocaust in Ukraine," he said.
Reaction from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleg Nikolenko, states on his Facebook page that Putin's statements were antisemitic. He notes that in the modern world, there is no place for hatred based on ethnicity.
"Putin's chronic fixation on the ethnic origin of the Ukrainian president is another manifestation of deep-rooted antisemitism among Russian elites," he wrote.
Reaction from the Office of the President Advisor to the head of the Office of the President
Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on his Twitter microblog that this was another cynical attempt by Putin to exploit the Holocaust theme.
"Once again, a person who deliberately gives orders to attack another country with missiles, kill en masse, rape, kidnap children, and wipe out cities and villages offers a new justification for his internal inadequacy," Podolyak wrote.
According to him, such statements indicate that Putin lives in his own isolated world, disconnected from reality. This means that he is absolutely incapable of reaching an agreement. Putin is not a rational actor worthy of long-term partnerships; this should be understood by players in all parts of the world.
"And yes, the Middle East should also get rid of its illusions and finally realize that fascism has been resuscitated in a Russian wrapper," Podoliak emphasized.
Putin's statements
The Russian dictator held a meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council. The Kremlin leader mentioned the Ukrainian counteroffensive and did not refrain from making further threats.
The Kremlin leader mentioned the Ukrainian counteroffensive and did not refrain from making further threats. Putin spoke of the creation of a Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian alliance. He saw this as a "threat of occupation of Western Ukraine."
Putin claimed that Poland should "thank the USSR for regaining independence" because, allegedly, thanks to dictator Stalin, it received Western lands as a gift.
Recently, Russia announced the closure of Poland's consular agency in Smolensk due to "unfriendly actions." The Polish side promised to respond in kind.
