Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky said Wednesday that the U.S. should be kicked out of the G8 and described Western sanctions imposed on Russia as unacceptable.
"These threats to exclude us from the G8, who gave them the right?" Zhirinovsky said Wednesday at the State Duma, adding that Russia, which is hosting the G8 summit in Sochi this year, should demand that the G8 excludes the U.S. for "attacking Kosovo, Iraq, and Libya."
Earlier this month, Britain and France withdrew from preparations for the summit, casting doubt on whether it will go ahead.
Later at a Duma plenary session, Zhirinovsky said that America should impeach U.S. President Barack Obama "for financing extremist fringe groups in Ukraine," Interfax reported.
Zhirinovsky challenged the legitimacy of sanctions against Russia, saying that international bodies should only impose them in connection with "some terrible events."
He said that only "barbarians" can talk about taking sanctions against a country that is trying to defend people, echoing the Kremlin's conviction that Russian speakers in Ukraine need to be protected from far-right groups.
He said that foreigners invest more in the Russian economy than Russians invest abroad and, as such, Western sanctions are self-defeating.
Known for making outrageous and often bizarre statements, Zhirinovsky also took exception to the Russian alphabet, lobbying for the letter "?«" to be removed from the Russian alphabet.
He accused ?« — pronounced from the back of the throat ?€” of being a "nasty letter" that does not endear the Russian language to Europeans, Regnum reported.
Russians adopted the letter from the Mongols, Zhirinovsky said, adding that younger children struggle with its pronunciation.
In November, Zhirinovsky advised his party members to have sex no more than four times a year and in February recommended that couples kiss each other on the forehead rather than on the lips, but only after that area had been disinfected.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.