JAKARTA - British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace accused President Vladimir Putin and his generals of reflecting Nazi Germany's fascism and tyranny, saying the invasion of Ukraine brought disgrace to the Soviet Union's proud military past.
Earlier, in celebrations to mark the 77th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, President Putin had evoked memories of Russia's heroism in his speech on Moscow's Red Square, to inspire his troops to fight in Ukraine.
However, Defense Minister Wallace said President Putin and top military brass are hijacking Russian history to achieve their own ends.
"Through the invasion of Ukraine, Putin and his inner circle of generals now reflect the fascism and tyranny of 77 years ago, repeating the mistakes of the totalitarian regime of the past century," Wallace said in a speech at the National Army Museum.
Britain has been one of the most vocal supporters of Ukraine's efforts to counter what President Putin has called special operations, to disarm and destroy its smaller neighbour. As for Ukraine and the West, this is a false pretext for a war of unwarranted aggression by Russia.
In his speech, President Putin condemned what he called external threats to weaken and divide Russia, accusing NATO of plotting invasions of lands he said historically belonged to Russia, including Crimea, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014.
"President Putin has been making a number of fabled claims for months and years now," the defense secretary said.
"Nobody is planning to attack, NATO is not encircling Russia," said Secretary Wallace.
However, Minister Wallace added that whatever happens in Ukraine, President Putin will be around "for some time".
"We have to ask ourselves, how are we going to contain him and his Russia in a way that means we provide security and safety to Europe," he explained.
In 75 days of fighting, Russian troops have razed Ukrainian villages, towns and cities, causing nearly six million people to seek refuge abroad. However, President Putin gave no indication in his speech about how long the war would last.
Minister Wallace added that Russian soldiers with little military training had been brought in to replace casualties on the battlefield, 'a kind of cannon fodder', while generals were just as involved "in Putin's hijacking of the proud history of their ancestors."
"For them and Putin there will be no day of victory, only disgrace and defeat in Ukraine," said Minister Wallace.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
