Russia criticized Prince Charles’ reported comparison of President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler and protested the matter Thursday in a face-to-face meeting with British officials.
Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, reportedly compared Hitler’s 1939 invasion of Poland with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in a private conversation during his trip to Canada earlier this week.
In Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Russia wanted an explanation from Britain about whether Charles expressed that view and whether the wider British government shares it.
“We consider the use of a member of the British royal family by the Western press for waging a propaganda campaign against Russia over … the situation in Ukraine as unacceptable, outrageous and base,” Lukashevich said.
Russian Embassy officials in London met British Foreign Office counterparts Thursday. The embassy said in a statement it sought “official clarifications” of the prince’s “outrageous remarks.”
Afterward, the Foreign Office said diplomat Sian MacLeod had told Russian Deputy Ambassador Alexander Kramarenko that the British government “could not be expected to comment upon reports of private conversations.”
The Foreign Office said British officials also urged Russia not to provoke instability in Ukraine ahead of the presidential election there this weekend.
The controversy started after the Daily Mail newspaper reported Wednesday that Charles had made the comments Monday during a visit to the Museum of Immigration in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The Mail said he was talking with museum volunteer Marienne Ferguson, who was a young girl when her family fled Poland before its 1939 invasion by Nazi Germany. Ferguson later confirmed the content of the prince’s comments to the BBC.
Charles is scheduled to join leaders of the World War II Allies, including Putin, at June 6 events in France marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
(AP)
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5 Responses
The Foreign Office gave the right answer: it was a private conversation. That’s the same answer the NBA should’ve given about Sterling. In any case, it will be a huge embarrassment for Putin at the D-Day commemoration because he knows that it will be in the back of everyone’s mind.
Charles is an idiot.
England lost almost all of its lands, and stands to loose more yet. Perhaps they are envious of a kicking and still strong Russia, that has regained one of its lands, and stands to regain more!
Charles, an adulter, galavanting around the world with the woman he commited adultery with while she was married to and living in the home of her husband, is a low-life with big ears.
Commenter no.1: Why do you think an employer can insult his employees in a private conversation?
Commenter no. 2: Which is the worse sin – losing land or adultery?
Commenter no. 2: He was married to a now deceased low-life adulteress.
The truth seems to hurt. Otherwise why should Putin be so annoyed. Western leaders get called, all sorts of things and brush it off. You can’t get away with that in Russia. As to how moral or immoral Charles is, or Putin, Obama and Hollande for that matter, it doesn’t actually have anything to do with Russia’s (and the West’s) policies and scheming.