Russians were warned by President Vladimir Putin that the nation should go through a “self-purification” due to alleged “traitors” in their midst.
QUICK FACTS:
- Russia’s president warns of “traitors” within their midst and calls for a national “self-purification,” according to Just The News.
- Russian President Vladimir Putting attacked Russians who didn’t support the invasion of Ukraine, calling them “traitors” in a speech on Wednesday.
- Putin’s speech came after the recent enactment of a law that would impose penalties of up to 15-year prison sentences for anyone spreading information contrary to the Russian government’s war narratives.
- The Russian president insisted that the west is using Russian traitors to cause unrest that could lead to “the destruction of Russia.”
MORE ON RUSSIA’S WAR ON CONFLICTING INFORMATION:
- Russians “will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths,” Putin said, per The Associated Press. “I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country.”
- The country has already banned Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, due to their hate speech policies that allows the encouragement of violence against the Russian people and government.
BACKGROUND:
- Russia and Ukraine have both reported progress in their negotiations, according to the AP, with the negotiators working in groups to hammer out contracts.
- An official in Zelenskyy’s office told the AP that their discussion was primarily centered around whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine following a hypothetical ceasefire.