Russia strongly condemns President Biden for likening Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, deeming his statements during a primetime speech on Thursday as “unacceptable” and “inappropriate for leaders of responsible nations,” according to a report.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed these sentiments, as reported by Reuters, following Biden’s comments in which he stated, “the assault on Israel echoes nearly 20 months of war, tragedy, and brutality inflicted on the people of Ukraine, people who have suffered immensely since Putin launched his full-scale invasion.”
“We have not forgotten the mass graves, the bodies showing signs of torture, the use of rape as a weapon by the Russians, and the thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly taken into Russia, forcibly separated from their parents. It’s horrifying. While Hamas and Putin pose different threats, they do share a commonality. Both seek to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy,” Biden remarked.
Biden continued, stating, “Completely annihilated… Hamas’ stated goal is the destruction of the state of Israel and the murder of Jewish people. Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. Hamas exploits Palestinian civilians as human shields, and innocent Palestinian families endure immense suffering as a result. Meanwhile, Putin denies Ukraine’s legitimacy as a sovereign state, asserting that it was created by the Soviet Union.”
On Friday, Peskov in Russia criticized Biden’s statements, saying, “Such rhetoric is hardly befitting leaders of responsible nations, and such language is far from acceptable to us. We reject this tone when directed towards the Russian Federation and our president,” as reported by Reuters.
Additionally, on Thursday, Biden stressed, “History has shown us that when terrorists and dictators face no consequences for their actions, they perpetuate more chaos, death, and destruction; they persist. The cost and the threats to America and the world continue to escalate.”
He added, “If we do not curb Putin’s ambitions for power and control over Ukraine, he will not restrict himself to Ukraine alone.”
