Russia demands explanation for Prince Charles’s Hitler remarks

MOSCOW, Russia — Russia’s foreign ministry on Thursday demanded an official explanation after Britain’s Prince Charles reportedly compared President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine to those of Hitler.

“If these words were really said, then undoubtedly they are not worthy of a future British monarch,” foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in Moscow.

“We have requested an official explanation from British authorities over the statements.”

Lukashevich slammed Western media for using Charles’s reported words in what he said was a propaganda campaign against Russia.

“We consider it is unacceptable, disgusting and low that Western media are using members of the British royal family to unroll a propaganda campaign against Russia on a contentious international issue like the situation in Ukraine,” he said.

Russia and Britain’s positions “differ widely and that is obvious, we see that from the statements of British politicians,” Lukashevich said.

“To discuss these topics, we have absolutely legal two-way channels and that does not call for pronouncing judgements in a broad public forum.”

A senior Russian diplomat was expected to hold talks at Britain’s foreign ministry Thursday after the Daily Mail reported the comments, which Charles apparently made in a private conversation with a Polish-born woman who fled the Nazis as a child.