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Russian President Vladimir Putin has compared himself favorably to Tsar Peter the Great, a late 17th-century Russian monarch, using the comparison to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During a visit to an exhibition dedicated to Russia’s first emperor on Thursday, Putin tried to compare Peter’s 18th-century conquest of Sweden to the current military invasion of Ukraine.
In his comments, Putin argued that Peter the Great was not conquering, but fighting for territories that rightfully belonged to Russia.
He drew a parallel with the current war in Ukraine, suggesting that Russia’s recent military actions — where troops destroyed cities, and killed dozens of innocent people — are justifiable, as Ukraine is not a legitimate, sovereign nation, but actually , a Russian territory.
“Because [Pedro, o Grande] went there? Putin asked. “He recovered and strengthened. And it seems that our destiny is to “retake and strengthen” as well, assuming that these basic values form the basis of our existence and that we will succeed in solving the tasks that lie ahead”, said the president.
He went on to add that European countries did not recognize Saint Petersburg — a city founded by the tsar — as a Russian city at first, equating the situation with the current situation of Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, including Crimea, which the US and European allies do not recognize as being. russian.
Source: CNN Brasil
