Putin claims he invaded Ukraine to “denazify” the country.
That drew hoots from the rest of the world, none more so than the Germans (read story here).
When Russia’s embassy in South Africa tweeted that “Russia is fighting Nazism in Ukraine,” the Germans posted the reply below. For a commentary, go here.
Ironies abound. Ukraine’s President Zelensky is Jewish. In Kyiv is Babi Yar, site of a Holocaust massacre of Jews; last week Russia bombed it. And there are parallels between Hitler’s annexations and invasions leading up to World War 2, and Putin’s annexations and invasions of Crimea, Donbas, and now the rest of Ukraine.
Russia historically knew all about Nazism; it was invaded and lost 20 million people, many of them murdered. Few Russians alive today remember it. But Putin knows well the lessons of history, and is copying Hitler’s methods of nibbling away other countries’ territories while making threats against anyone who interferes.
And now, unable to quickly defeat the Ukrainian army, he’s bombing and shelling civilians. Hitler did that, too.
This time, the Russian dictator is the Nazi.
