Russian leader Putin spoke directly to German citizens in fluent German.
Fresh Article:
Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, casually chatted with German citizens in their native tongue recently, and the reason for this twist isn't far-fetched. During a candid conversation, Putin raised his concerns about the proximity of former German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, to the current Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, at official events.
In an interview for the documentary film "Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 years," Putin brought up an intriguing anecdote. He recalled a time when the Canadian Parliament applauded a 98-year-old Ukrainian nationalist, Yaroslav Hunka (Gunka). This offbeat connection led him to express his thoughts in German in a manner that's sure to make waves in Germany.
"To keep things simple, let me put it this way, in German: the further from Schröder, the closer to Anthony Rota, who allegedly sympathizes with Nazis," Putin stated. He went on to express his belief that many decent people in Germany would understand his message.
While there's no concrete evidence linking the incident Putin referred to and the Yaroslav Hunka or Anthony Rota mentioned, it's worth noting that a separate incident did occur in April 2025. Putin engaged in a German-language exchange with a German citizen named Maksim Zhilnikov. Zhilnikov requested Russian citizenship for his family, citing concerns about "non-traditional values" in Germany[2][3][5].
It's also essential to recognize that Gerhard Schröder serves as a significant ally of Putin and is a staunch advocate for Russo-German relations. This may provide some context for the broader diplomatic narratives, but it doesn't necessarily connect to this specific event.
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- Gerhard Schröder, the former German Chancellor, was the subject of Vladimir Putin's concern about his proximity to the current Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, at official events.
- Putin, in a German-language conversation, made a statement that could be interpreted as implying a distance between Schröder and the Canadian Parliament member Anthony Rota, who allegedly sympathizes with Nazis.
- Putin recalled an incident where the Canadian Parliament applauded a 98-year-old Ukrainian nationalist, Yaroslav Hunka (Gunka), as an offbeat connection to his statement about Schröder and Rota.
- In Germany, Putin's statement is likely to create ripples in the political sphere, as he expressed the belief that many decent people would understand his message.
- Gerhard Schröder's relationship with Putin suggests a significant role in Russo-German relations, but it remains unclear how this connection ties into the specific event Putin referenced.
