Vladimir Putin recently held a concert/rally at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium to celebrate the 8th Anniversary of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. During the pro-Russia event, he referenced Biblical scripture and quoted a national hero to justify his criminal invasion of Ukraine, according to NBC News.
While talking to a flag-waving crowd, he claimed his motivation behind the military operation was to liberate Ukrainians from “this genocide.” The Russian president named neo-Nazis and extreme nationalists as the culprits behind the systematic murder. He asserts Ukraine’s government is controlled by “little Nazis.”
Putin told the audience that this “unity” reminds him of a verse from the Bible and he paraphrased John 15:13. He said: “There is no other love rather than if someone gives soul for their friends,” reports the BBC according to the Christian Post.
He also talked about the start of the war being the birthday of one of Russia’s canonized military leaders, Fedor Ushakov who never lost “a single battle throughout his brilliant career. He once said that these thunderstorms would glorify Russia. This is how it was in his time; this is how it is today and will always be,” said Putin according to NBC News.
“For a world without Nazism” read the banner behind Russia’s president. Moscow will undoubtedly execute all of its plans in Ukraine. They will spare the Ukrainians from the West and its “little Nazis,” says Putin.
A couple of Russian lawmakers concur with Putin’s assessment of this problem in Ukraine, according to The New York Times. One contends that U.S. officials led by President Joe Biden are behind the country’s “Nazification.” The lawmaker added that this action should be tried before a court. A second lawmaker expounded upon the concept of a trial saying, “it is time to create a ‘modern analogy to the Nuremberg Tribunal’ as Russia prepares to ‘denazify’ Ukraine.”
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
CNN: Putin celebrates anniversary of Crimea annexation at stadium rally amid Russia’s onslaught of Ukraine; by Tata John, Uliana Pavlova, and Anastasia Graham-Yooll
The Christian Post: Putin quotes John 15:13 to hail Ukraine invasion at Moscow rally: ‘The words from the Bible;’ by Anugrah Kumar
The New York Times: Why Vladimir Putin Invokes Nazis to Justify His Invasion of Ukraine; by Anton Troianovski
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Amanda Graham’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Дмитрий Осипенко’s Pixabay Page – Creative Commons License
