The international community must do everything possible to save the Ukrainian sailors Russian forces took prisoner because Vladimir Putin is behaving toward them in exactly the same way Stalin treated his enemies in 1937, accusing them of a crime and only then bringing them to trial, Igor Eidman says.
The Russian sociologist who writes commentaries for Deutsche Welle says that in fact Putin is behaving in exactly the same way that Stalin did, charging those he has as prisoners of “fantastic” crimes and then turning them over to the chekists to extract the necessary evidence or confessions by one means or another.
Putin explicitly said, Eidman continues, that “we must confirm the provocative character of the actions of the Ukrainian authorities and fix this in legal documents … We must form them in a corresponding way and there it will be obvious.” It is beyond doubt that his Chekists will do just what Stalin’s did to fulfill the leader’s will.
“Putin further said,” the commentator says, “Ukrainian sailors attempted to break through to the Kerch Strait and said that they intended to blow up the Kerch bridge.” That is nonsense, the kind of charge that comes from the Stalinist playbook and that is worrisome because so little world attention is as yet being devoted to it.
Given that Putin in this case is acting as the Stalin of today, Eidman concludes, “the international community must immediately save the Ukrainian sailors” from his clutches. “Otherwise against them may be fabricated a case in the style of 1937.”
Further Reading:
- Russia takes 24 prisoners of war after attacking Ukrainian ships in Azov, televises “confessions”
- Russian fighter jet blasted Ukrainian ships with unguided missiles in Azov Sea, SBU claims
- Putin has crossed a Rubicon – Will the West respond?
- FSB tries to explain attack on Ukrainian ships, proves Russia broke its own laws
- Russian attack on Ukrainian ships: who has a right to do what in the Azov Sea
- Condemnation and “concerns”: world reaction to Russia’s attack on Ukrainian ships
- Russian wave of disinformation from the Azov Sea
- Putin will attempt to divert attention from Russia’s attack on Ukraine in Kerch Strait, Polyakov says
- Martial law to be imposed in nearly half of Ukraine. Here is what will change
- Russian military leadership ordered escalation in Black Sea, Ukrainian army intercepts show
- Russia attacks Ukrainian ships near Kerch strait – video, audio intercepts
- Russian attack on Ukrainian ships near Kerch Strait – full chronology
