Curated By: Majid Alam
Last Updated: OCTOBER 15, 2023, 10:54 IST
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pose for a photo in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia. (Credits: Associated Press)
Vladimir Putin said the conflict was rooted in the inability to create a sovereign Palestinian state in line with UN resolutions that he called a ‘gross injustice’
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Israel risked waging an “unacceptable” siege in Gaza comparable to the Nazi blockade of Leningrad during World War II.
“Various scenarios are emerging, including the possibility of military and non-military measures being taken against the Gaza Strip comparable to the siege of Leningrad during World War II,” Putin told journalists on a visit to Kyrgyzstan.
“We understand what that entails. In my opinion, this is unacceptable. More than two million people live there,” he added. Putin renewed his call for negotiations on Friday, and offered Moscow as a potential mediator.
Earlier, Putin said the conflict was rooted in the inability to create a sovereign Palestinian state in line with UN resolutions that he called a “gross injustice.”
WHAT IS SIEGE OF LENINGRAD?
The siege of Leningrad (St Petersburg) was one of the deadliest sieges in history where Germany besieged the city for over two years during the Second World War, during which the city suffered an estimated one million civilian deaths.
Leningrad, which lies at the mouth of the river Neva had around 2.5 million inhabitants at the beginning of the blockade. It was a major target when Germany launched its invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. The German army advanced rapidly and by September 1941 surrounded the Soviet Union’s second city cutting of roads and railways, depriving the city of food, fresh water, and electricity.
Leningrad was subjected constant air raids and shelling and the siege lasted for almost two and a half years during which over one million civilians died, mostly of starvation.
MAJID ALAM
Senior Sub-Editor
Majid Alam is a Senior Sub Editor at News18.com. He currently writes Explainers on a range of topics, including politics, environment, health, and international affairs for the news website. He takes a keen interest in global news, especially South Asia and European politics. He holds a Master’s degree in journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He was awarded the Erasmus+ Scholarship to study International Affairs at Sciences Po, Paris. He also currently serves as the National Representative (India) of the international alumni network of the Erasmus+ Programme. His X handle is @iammajidalam.