Putin recalled the imperial ambitions of former British leader Margaret Thatcher.
Russian President Vladimir Putin responded on Thursday, 30 June, accusing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of not invading Ukraine if he were a woman.
Speaking at a news conference during a visit to Turkmenistan, Putin pointed to Former British leader Margaret Thatcher's decision to send troops to the Falklands as a rebuttal to Johnson's theory.
On Wednesday, Johnson called Putin's decision to launch what Moscow calls a “special military operation” against Ukraine “a great example of toxic courage.”
In response, Putin told reporters: Margaret Thatcher decided to start hostilities against Argentina for the Falkland Islands. So the woman decided to go to war.
“So this is not a very accurate reference by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to what is happening today,” Reuters reported.
Putin went on to criticize Britain's actions taken 40 years ago to respond militarily to Argentina's attempt to seize the sparsely populated British-run islands in the South Atlantic.
Where are the Falkland Islands and where is Britain? Putin asked. Thatcher's actions were dictated by nothing but imperial ambitions and a (desire) to reaffirm his imperial status. “
Russia on Thursday summoned the British ambassador to Moscow to protest against “insulting” remarks by Prime Minister Boris Johnson against President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
insulting comments from the British authorities about Russia, its leader, its officials, and the Russian people, “the statement said.
Read also: If Britain were still in the EU, it would not be able to help Ukraine as now – Johnson
“In a decent society, it is customary to apologize for such statements,” – said the Foreign Ministry.
It will be recalled that Johnson said on Tuesday that Putin would not start a war in Ukraine if he were a woman, and called the military operation “a great example of toxic courage.”
, is not – but if he was her, I really do not think he would have started this crazy war – macho invasion and violence in the form in which he did it. If you need a perfect example of toxic masculinity, that's what Putin is doing in Ukraine today, “Johnson was quoted as saying by German television station ZDF.
Putin called Johnson's comments” wrong. “
UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has also drawn criticism after accusing a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman of “threatening everyone to strike a nuclear strike or do something every week”.
Russia's Foreign Ministry stressed that it was “unacceptable” for British officials to “disseminate knowingly false information, especially about possible threats from Russians who” resort to nuclear weapons “.
