On the third day of his two-week visit to the United States, Zhirinovsky emphatically told the UN Correspondents' Association that he was not anti-Semitic, and that it was others who constantly raised the "Jewish theme."
But he proceeded to say that Jews play a "negative" role in Russia today.
"Unfortunately, the majority of journalists who welcomed the (collapse of the Soviet Union) joyously are of Jewish nationality," he said. "The majority of new business structures are headed mostly by Jews, but today most of the money is criminal.
"It's not we who are saying this, but it's the objective reality," he said.
Questioned about his ethnic origins, he said: "Many people say that one of my parents is a Jew. I am not aware of that. My parents are both Russians. If you find me a Jewish parent I would be happy to embrace him, to kiss him."
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