Boris Johnson makes fresh comparison between Russia and Nazi Germany
2 min read
Boris Johnson has risked reigniting a diplomatic row with Russia after comparing failure to stand up to Vladimir Putin with appeasement.
Mr Johnson said failure to stand up to the Kremlin’s pattern of provocative behaviour” would only lead to “revanchist feeling" from Putin’s administration.
The Foreign Secretary has continued to draw comparisons between the Russian President and the Nazi dictator - first in the immediate aftermath of the Salisbury attack and again earlier this week, when he compared the upcoming football World Cup with the 1936 Olympics.
Mr Johnson again accused Mr Putin of Nazi tactics by comparing Russia’s annexation of Crimea with the occupation of the Sudetenland by Hitler’s forces in 1938.
He said it was “wholly apposite” to compare the two.
Asked about the EU’s failure to take action when Russian troops entered the territory in 2014, Mr Johnson said: “We didn't do anything about the Sudetenland, you know.
“[Russia] annexed a sovereign European territory, has been involved in an assassination attempt in Montenegro, has allowed its client state Syria to conduct gas attacks against innocent civilians,and has now engaged in an attempted assassination in Wiltshire.
"I think it's a wholly apposite point that this is a regime that has annexed a piece of sovereign European territory."
Mr Johnson’s previous comparisons between Mr Putin’s administration and the Third Reich led to a furious response from Moscow.
Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Alexander Yakovenko, said his comments were “unacceptable and totally irresponsible” at a press conference on Thursday.
He pointed to Russia’s role in stopping Nazi forces, who were turned back at the battle of Stalingrad.
Russia lost 8.7 million soldiers during the conflict – more than any other country.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
