What about Thatcher?.. Putin responds to Johnson's statement that if he were a woman, he would not have invaded Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday rejected British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's claim that if he had been a woman, he would not have invaded Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference in the early hours of Thursday morning during a visit to Turkmenistan, Putin cited former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's decision to send troops to the Falkland Islands to refute Johnson's theory.
Johnson on Wednesday described Putin's decision to launch what Moscow calls a "special military operation" against Ukraine as a "exemplary example of toxic masculinity" and mocked Putin's tendency to bolster his machismo.
Putin told reporters, "I just want to recall events from modern history when Margaret Thatcher decided to launch military operations against Argentina in order to gain control of the Falkland Islands. Here, a woman made the decision to launch military action.
"So it is not a completely accurate indication from the British Prime Minister of what is happening today."
The Russian leader has continued to criticize Britain's move 40 years ago to respond militarily to Argentina's attempt to gain control of the sparsely populated British-administered islands in the South Atlantic.
"Where are the Falkland Islands and where is Britain? ... Thatcher's actions were motivated solely by imperialist ambitions and (the desire to) assert their imperial status," Putin asked.
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