Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Friday likened an Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip to Nazi Germany’s deadly siege of Leningrad during World War II.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack by Hamas terrorists that has claimed 1,300 Israeli lives, Israel’s leaders have made no secret of their plans to seek swift vengeance on Gaza.
“Casualties among civilians will be absolutely unacceptable. The Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip is unacceptable and is like the Nazi siege of Leningrad,” Putin said according to a translation of his words posted on X by Citizen Free Press.
Putin speaks out against Gaza blockade and Israeli airstrikes:
“Casualties among civilians will be absolutely unacceptable. The Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip is unacceptable and is like the Nazi siege of Leningrad.”
pic.twitter.com/AkMbmbaXnJ— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 13, 2023
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The 900-day siege of Leningrad from 1941 to 1944 is estimated to have claimed 800,000 civilian lives, according to the Sorbonne.
The Siege of Leningrad, which lasted from September 8, 1941, to January 27, 1944, during World War II, was one of the longest and most brutal sieges in history. Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, was a major city in the Soviet Union and a key target for Nazi Germany during… pic.twitter.com/5N1CnjnDuV
— History Nook (@history_nook) October 8, 2023
Putin said Israel sustained “an attack unprecedented in its cruelty” and had the right to defend itself, but deplored a ground attack on Gaza.
“And most importantly, the civilian casualties will be absolutely unacceptable. Now the main thing is to stop the bloodshed,” Putin said, according to Reuters.
Will Russia get involved in the Israel-Gaza war?
Yes: 49% (42 Votes)
No: 51% (44 Votes)
“Russia is ready to coordinate with all constructively minded partners,” Putin said.
However, he made clear that “without solving fundamental political issues, the main of which is the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, it is impossible to solve the problem as a whole,” according to Fox News.
“We understand that the hardening on both sides is very large, but no matter what the level of hardness on both sides, it is still necessary to strive to minimize or reduce to zero, to minimize losses among the civilian population: women, children, the elderly. If men have decided to fight among themselves, let them fight among themselves – children, leave women alone. This applies to both sides,” he said.
Putin spoke at a time when, according to the United Nations, 27,149 civilians have been killed or wounded in Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion began, with 9,614 killed and 17,535 injured.
Any active Russian presence in a war could bring about the kind of scenario foretold in the Bible.
Putin and Russian media have poked at the United States, according to The New York Times.
“This is a clear example of the failure of United States policy in the Middle East,” Putin said Tuesday when speaking of the Hamas attack on Israel.
“The image of the invincible Israeli fortress has just collapsed,” Russian talk show host Olga Skabeyeva said, adding, “Are U.S. aircraft carriers next?”
As noted by the Times of Israel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of working with Hamas.
“We are certain that Russia is supporting, in one way or another, Hamas operations. The current crisis… bears witness to the fact that Russia really is seeking to carry out destabilizing actions all over the world,” he said in an interview with French TV.
