The secretary-general of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) in Europe has condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for having "double standards."
Spencer Oliver told RFE/RL that it was the "height of hypocrisy" for Putin to condemn Ukrainian forces for taking action against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Oliver noted that Putin signed a Russian law criminalizing separatism with jail time in December.
Oliver said: "In the OSCE, the Russians are always alleging double standards, but this is ridiculous because in Russia, anybody who calls for separatism is a criminal. So, that means that the people in Ukraine under Russian standards would be criminals."
As Ukrainian forces moved against pro-Russian separatists in Slovyansk on April 24, Putin said the use of force by the Ukrainian government would be a "serious crime against their own nation."
Spencer Oliver told RFE/RL that it was the "height of hypocrisy" for Putin to condemn Ukrainian forces for taking action against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Oliver noted that Putin signed a Russian law criminalizing separatism with jail time in December.
Oliver said: "In the OSCE, the Russians are always alleging double standards, but this is ridiculous because in Russia, anybody who calls for separatism is a criminal. So, that means that the people in Ukraine under Russian standards would be criminals."
As Ukrainian forces moved against pro-Russian separatists in Slovyansk on April 24, Putin said the use of force by the Ukrainian government would be a "serious crime against their own nation."