The Kremlin on Thursday said British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had made “disgusting” comments about President Vladimir Putin seeking to exploit Russia’s World Cup in the way Adolf Hitler had used the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
“This is a completely disgusting statement. This is beneath the foreign minister of any country. Of course it is offensive and unacceptable,” said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
The previous day, Johnson agreed with a fellow British MP who had suggested that “Putin is going to use it in the way Hitler used the 1936 Olympics”, as a propaganda exercise.
“I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right,” the minister replied, envisaging Putin “glorying in this sporting event”.
