The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, like US President Joe Biden, has put the Islamist movement Hamas and the Russian government on the same level.
"Russia and Hamas are similar. As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, their essence is the same. Both killed and took hostages innocent civilians, including babies and children. This is a barbaric method of warfare," she said in a speech at the Hudson Institute.
"If left unchecked, this contagion could spread from Europe to the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific," the European Commission President said.
Earlier, Joe Biden said in his address to the nation that both Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin want to destroy a neighboring democratic country, and the United States must prevent this, as it is a beacon of freedom and democracy for the whole world.
"We cannot and will not allow terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin to win," he said.
Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization in many countries around the world. after its invasion of Ukraine, Russia was recognized as a state sponsor of terrorism in a number of European countries, as well as by the European Parliament and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
Background. The Israeli military reportedly changed its plans for a ground operation in the Gaza Strip under the influence of the United States.