The Russian president gave a pro-war speech in front of tens of thousands of “Z” flag-waving supporters at a Moscow stadium, which has now been compared to Hitler’s speeches in Nazi Germany. Vladimir Putin has staged a rally in Moscow which has been compared to both the Nazi rallies of Hitler and the show-trials of Stalin. The chilling spectacle took place to mark the anniversary of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and saw the Russian president greeted by cheering throngs of people in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, which hosted the FIFA world cup in 2018. Putin could be seen praising the Russian invasion of Ukraine and assuring those in attendance of Russia’s victory, despite reports now emerging that Ukrainian defenders are successfully resisting aggressors. Some in the crowd can be seen wearing clothing and waving banners featuring the ‘Z’ symbol. This was originally used on Russian military vehicles in their invasion of Ukraine and has now become synonymous with Putin’s supporters, with some people even comparing it to the Nazi swastika.
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