Vladimir Putin accuses Europe of xenophobia, treating Russians as ‘second class’

Russian President Vladimir Putin castigated Europe on Saturday for “Russophobia” and criticised the Baltic States over human rights on the unveiling of a World Battle-2 memorial. Moscow has repeatedly accused the Baltic nations of xenophobia and treating Russian minorities as “second-class”.

Since he despatched Russian troops into Ukraine practically two years in the past, Putin has been making comparisons with the struggle in opposition to the Nazis so as to rally his nation.

“The regime in Kyiv exalts Hitler’s accomplices, the SS males … In quite a lot of European international locations, Russophobia is promoted as state coverage,” Putin stated within the Leningrad area for the eightieth anniversary of the top of the Nazi siege.

The Germans’ goals then had been to steal the Soviet Union’s sources and get rid of its folks, he stated.

Ukraine, which was a part of the Soviet Union and itself suffered devastation by the hands of Hitler’s forces, rejects comparisons as spurious pretexts for a conflict of conquest.

In his speech, Putin additionally lambasted the Baltic States over human rights. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – dominated by Moscow through the Chilly Battle however now members of the European Union and NATO army alliance – have been among the many strongest critics of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Within the Baltic States, tens of hundreds of persons are declared subhuman, disadvantaged of their most elementary rights, and subjected to persecution,” Putin stated, referring to migration crackdowns.

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