Putin Calls Hillary Clinton ‘Weak’, ‘Never Graceful In Her Statements’

Russian President Vladimir Putin pushed back at former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this week, responding to statements that Clinton made earlier this year, Yahoo News reports.

In an interview with French television, Putin was asked about comments that Clinton made in March, in which she likened his actions in the Ukraine and Crimea to those taken by Adolph Hitler in 1930’s Europe.

“Now if this sounds familiar, it’s what Hitler did back in the 30s,” Clinton said, according to The Huffington Post. “All the Germans that were… the ethnic Germans, the Germans by ancestry who were in places like Czechoslovakia and Romania and other places, Hitler kept saying they’re not being treated right. I must go and protect my people and that’s what’s gotten everybody so nervous.”

Speaking about the remarks a few days later, Clinton stood by them.

In the interview, which was conducted June 3 in Sochi, Putin responded by saying “it’s better not to argue with woman,” before alleging that “Mrs. Clinton has never been too graceful in her statements.”

Striking a conciliatory note, Putin reflected that he and Clinton “always met afterwards and had cordial conversations at various international events,” before saying that he believes they could come to an agreement “even in this case.” Putin did not hide, however, that he found Clinton’s comments to be extreme:

“When people push boundaries too far, it’s not because they are strong but because they are weak. But maybe weakness is not the worst quality for a woman.”

In the same interview, Putin spoke about the United State’s response to Russia’s recent actions in Eastern Europe:

“Speaking of U.S. policy, it’s clear that the United States is pursuing the most aggressive and toughest policy to defend their own interests — at least this is how the American leaders see it — and they do it persistently.”

Clinton’s comments echo others made by her husband, Former President Bill Clinton. As The Inquisitr previously reported, President Clinton reflected on Putin’s motives, alleging that he wishes to “re-establish Russian greatness, not in Cold War terms – in 19th-century-empire terms.”

The verbal backlash against Hillary Clinton also echoes events last month, when Putin accused Prince Charles of “unacceptable” and “unroyal” behavior for remarks in which Charles also compared Putin to Hitler.

Due to the fact that Hillary Clinton is widely expected to mount a Presidential campaign in 2016, Putin’s comments will no doubt come under scrutiny in the west. Although political opponents of the Clintons are sure to seize upon the remarks, the question remains: Do The Inquisitr’s readers think Hillary Clinton is weak?

[Image via Yahoo News]