Boris Johnson said Vladimir Putin’s hosting of the World Cup was akin to the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/ReutersRussia claimed that Boris Johnson was “poisoned with hate and boorishness” last night after he compared President Putin hosting the World Cup to Adolf Hitler staging the Olympics. The foreign secretary said that it was “an emetic prospect to think of Putin glorying in this sporting event” but stopped short of advocating a boycott. He warned Russia that it would be held responsible for ensuring the safety of British fans. Hitler used Berlin’s hosting of the summer games in 1936 as propaganda for the Nazi regime. Under his rule German athletics organisations had an “Aryan-only” policy, which caused outrage around the world.

Source: The Times March 22, 2018 00:02 UTC