Whenever I think of Vladimir Putin, the president of the Russian Federation, Nimrod comes to my mind. There is such an uncanny similarity between both men that the thought of it sends cold shivers down my spine.
Slitty-eyed, short-statured, coldly calculating, Vladimir Putin is a Nimrod of our day. Russians who have crossed him have paid dearly.
As a conquering strongman in the mould of Nimrod, Putin spreads his corrosive influence by stomping all over the world subjugating nations and conquering other people’s lands. He is a bloodhound constantly looking for prey and always spoiling for a fight. An inveterate provocateur, Putin goes to and fro looking for who to meddle with.
Few nations have suffered more in the hand of Putin than Ukraine, his next-door neighbour. Embedded within every hierarchy of private and governmental institutions in Ukraine – be it military or civilian – are men and women who have sworn fealty and whose loyalty is sole, to Putin. And he controls his embeds like a puppet master.
For as long as anyone can remember, Putin’s army has laid siege on Ukraine and has had its border surrounded. At will and whenever his often-psychotic episodes come upon him, he may seize control of any of the infrastructure in the country. Be it the electricity grid, telecommunication system or the transportation system, you name it, nothing is spared or beyond Putin’s reach. Even worse, an entire region in Ukraine has been annexed by the Russian for seven years and counting. Crimea, which is rich in natural gas and other resources, is presently under the occupation of Putin’s army.
In a crass display of thuggishness, the Russian Minister for Sports on Wednesday lodged a complaint against Ukraine with the European governing body UEFA. And what exactly did Ukraine do to warrant a complaint against it by the Russian government? Well, Putin is not happy that Ukraine had the gall to unveil a new national team shirt ahead of the Euro 2020 tournament that is emblazoned with a map of Ukraine that includes Crimea.
A sovereign nation draws the map of its internationally recognised territories that includes all the regions within its internationally recognised borders and a foreign aggressor gets mad and lodges a complaint against it with the European soccer ruling body. Is that audacious or what?
Akin Ojumu, MD, MPH is of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
