4 ms·

Putin accusing Ukraine leadership of being nazis was... utterly bizarre (reminded me a bit of Trump). I mean of all that people to say such a thing?!

leereeves 5y ago
I suspect that in Russia "Nazi" implies anti-Russian rather than anti-Semitic. The Germans killed about 20 million Russians in WW2, including about 15 million civilians. Perhaps those remarks sound bizarre to Western ears because we interpret them differently.
- mediumsmart 5y ago
  probably. btw: 27 million Russians - 14 million of them civilians. German here. Nie wieder Krieg. https://www.avwsu.org/the-liberation-of-kiev/ https://www.avwsu.org/the-liberation-of-kiev/
- tgv 5y ago
  I think that number includes Ukrainians. And I can’t believe Putin didn’t realize that that speech, his style justification, would be seen and judged all over the world.
  - HWR_14 5y ago
    I'm sure Putin realized his speech would be seen and judged worldwide. I don't think he cares. He probably thinks he can just do whatever he wants and the world will accommodate him.
- kergonath 5y ago
  > The Germans killed about 20 million Russians in WW2, including about 15 million civilians. A sizeable fraction of these “Russians” were actually Ukrainians.
  - leereeves 5y ago
    That's why I said "about 20 million" rather than 27 million (which is the consensus for the Soviet Union as a whole). Exact numbers aren't important in this context, they simply illustrate that Russians have their own experience with Nazis that isn't what Americans usually think about when Americans think of Nazis. The important point, about which I'd love to hear from someone more familiar with Russian language and culture, is whether the word "Nazi" is used in the same way in Russia and America (when not referring to actual Nazis).
genericacct 5y ago
He also accused them of being degenerates, which is funny considering he's a guy that wears foundation, has botox injections and facelifts..
throwaway52483 5y ago
Some details about this accusation are provided in this video (which appears to be a piece of Russian propaganda, with both interviewer and interviewee being writers for RT) starting about 4 minutes into the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GkmdCaBECs&t=273s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GkmdCaBECs&t=273s
mediumsmart 5y ago
Azov battallion - google is your friend
- ch4s3 5y ago
  Those nuts were a bigger deal in 2014, and their political party only has a few seats. Russia is hardly in good standing with respect to right wing extremism.
- kergonath 5y ago
  How are they in power in Ukraine? It’s like saying that all Germans are communists because of the Red Army Faction.
- bobthechef 5y ago
  [dead]

leereeves 5y ago

I suspect that in Russia "Nazi" implies anti-Russian rather than anti-Semitic. The Germans killed about 20 million Russians in WW2, including about 15 million civilians. Perhaps those remarks sound bizarre to Western ears because we interpret them differently.

mediumsmart 5y ago
probably. btw: 27 million Russians - 14 million of them civilians. German here. Nie wieder Krieg. https://www.avwsu.org/the-liberation-of-kiev/ https://www.avwsu.org/the-liberation-of-kiev/
tgv 5y ago
I think that number includes Ukrainians. And I can’t believe Putin didn’t realize that that speech, his style justification, would be seen and judged all over the world.
- HWR_14 5y ago
  I'm sure Putin realized his speech would be seen and judged worldwide. I don't think he cares. He probably thinks he can just do whatever he wants and the world will accommodate him.
kergonath 5y ago
> The Germans killed about 20 million Russians in WW2, including about 15 million civilians. A sizeable fraction of these “Russians” were actually Ukrainians.
- leereeves 5y ago
  That's why I said "about 20 million" rather than 27 million (which is the consensus for the Soviet Union as a whole). Exact numbers aren't important in this context, they simply illustrate that Russians have their own experience with Nazis that isn't what Americans usually think about when Americans think of Nazis. The important point, about which I'd love to hear from someone more familiar with Russian language and culture, is whether the word "Nazi" is used in the same way in Russia and America (when not referring to actual Nazis).

genericacct 5y ago

He also accused them of being degenerates, which is funny considering he's a guy that wears foundation, has botox injections and facelifts..

throwaway52483 5y ago

Some details about this accusation are provided in this video (which appears to be a piece of Russian propaganda, with both interviewer and interviewee being writers for RT) starting about 4 minutes into the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GkmdCaBECs&t=273s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GkmdCaBECs&t=273s

mediumsmart 5y ago

Azov battallion - google is your friend

ch4s3 5y ago
Those nuts were a bigger deal in 2014, and their political party only has a few seats. Russia is hardly in good standing with respect to right wing extremism.
kergonath 5y ago
How are they in power in Ukraine? It’s like saying that all Germans are communists because of the Red Army Faction.
bobthechef 5y ago
[dead]