Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, has likened Russian President Vladimir Putin to German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler over his stance on Ukraine, according to a British newspaper. During a royal tour of Canada, the 65-year-old prince told a Jewish woman who fled from Poland during World War II that “Putin is doing just about the same as Hitler”, the Daily Mail said on 21 May.
Charles’s remarks, described by a royal source as “well-intentioned” and not meant to be public, were leading news reports in Britain where the government has been a strong critic of Moscow over its public support for pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. Several high-profile figures have made a link between Russian moves against Ukraine, including annexation of Crimea, and German aggression leading to World War II.