Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday used a televised address to claim his country was being victimized by “cancel culture” after its invasion of Ukraine.
Putin likened the world’s condemnation of Russia to the backlash that “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling received for controversial comments about the transgender community. Rowling was “canceled,” Putin said, “just because she didn’t satisfy the demands of gender rights,” according to an interpreter’s translation.
“They’re now trying to cancel our country,” he continued. “I’m talking about the progressive discrimination of everything to do with Russia — this trend that is unfolding in a number of Western states.”
He added: “They’re now engaging in cancel culture.”
Rowling responded in a tweet rejecting Putin’s comparison.
“Critiques of Western cancel culture are possibly not best made by those currently slaughtering civilians for the crime of resistance, or who jail and poison their critics,” she wrote. She added an “IStandWithUkraine” hashtag and linked to an article about prominent Putin critic Alexei Navalny being imprisoned.
Russia’s economy has been hit hard by economic sanctions imposed by Europe, the U.S. and other countries in response to Putin’s invasion. Up to 15,000 Russian soldiers are reported to have been killed and Putin is said to be under pressure in Moscow as his military meets unexpectedly stiff resistance from Ukrainians.
Putin also railed against Hollywood movies, saying they have canceled Russia’s contribution in defeating the Nazis.
Watch Putin’s comments here: