Putin calls Ukrainian leadership 'Aliens,' echoing antisemitic and conspiracy theories
In a speech at the Eastern Economic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to Ukraine's leadership as "aliens." This comment came as he addressed the recent attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russia's Kursk region and potential strikes on the Zaporizhzhia and Kursk Nuclear Power Plants.
"Sometimes, it seems to me that those who are leading Ukraine are either some kind of aliens or foreigners," Putin remarked.
Previously, Putin has made antisemitic comments aimed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On June 16, 2023, during his address at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, he mentioned that he has "many Jewish friends" who reportedly call Zelensky "not a Jew, but a disgrace to the Jewish people."
Putin's statements resonate with content shared by authors of antisemitic public forums that spread conspiracy theories. Antisemitic individuals disseminate online theories designed to dehumanize the Jewish people, suggesting secret plans to take over the world and shifting hatred onto Jews by othering them from humanity. Hallmarks of this theory include claims of human abduction, global conspiracies, and genetic manipulation. One such channel is operated by Alexander Morozov, a former aide to General Rokhlin.
The global reptilian conspiracy theory, which posits that alien-reptilians hiding in underground bunkers control world leaders to influence political processes on Earth, originated from the writings and lectures of British author and conspiracy theorist David Icke. According to Icke, the most influential people on Earth, including the late Queen of Britain and various U.S. presidents, were or are reptilians.
In Russia, the reptilian global conspiracy theory has evolved to combine elements of alien and Jewish origins, influenced by Valery Yemelyanov, one of the founders of Russian neopaganism and a proponent of the superiority of the Russian "Aryan" nation. Yemelyanov was closely associated with the governing bodies of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and delivered lectures at party institutes. In 1973, these lectures prompted protests, with the U.S. demanding their cessation from the Soviet ambassador.