Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of « Satanism » and bemoaned that « there are supposedly genders besides women and men » on Friday.
Vladimir Putin has accused the West of undermining « traditional values » in service to « Satanism, » prompting some to compare the Russian president’s remarks to rhetoric from MAGA Republicans.
Putin said that « Western elites » were pushing a « radical denial of moral norms, religion and family » during a speech on Russia’s claimed annexation of four regions of Ukraine on Friday. He said that residents of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia were becoming Russian citizens « forever » before setting his sights on the « challenge » of values held in the U.S. and allied countries.
« The dictatorship of the Western elites is directed against all societies, including the peoples of the Western countries themselves, » Putin said, according to a translation from Reuters. « This is a challenge to all. This is a complete denial of humanity, the overthrow of faith and traditional values. Indeed, the suppression of freedom itself has taken on the features of a religion: outright Satanism. »
The Russian president also spoke about the West’s supposedly « insane » recognition of LGBTQ people during the speech, while echoing recent rhetoric from Republicans opposed to transgender rights.
