Good Morning Britain turned tense as host Rob Rinder made his views crystal clear on Vladimir Putin as he blasted the Russian leader as “evil”.
The 43-year-old TV judge joined his friend Susanna Reid on the ITV breakfast programme – with Russia’s invasion on Ukraine dominating the news on Wednesday’s show (March 2).
Updating viewers on the current situation in Ukraine proved to be emotional for the pair as Susanna explained children suffering from cancer had their treatment discontinued so that they could flee for safety.
Showing an image of a little boy who had been having chemotherapy for leukaemia, she added that he was now being treated by medics in Ireland.
Speaking of Putin’s brutality, Rob told Susanna: “I don’t like the word evil, it’s nuance, but if the cap fits.”
(Image: mirror.co.uk)
Earlier on in the programme, the two journalists compared Putin to Adolf Hilter.
Rob demanded: “This isn’t just tragic, this is a breach of international law.
“You talked about surrender and siege of civilians, the direct targeting of women and children, waging aggressive war.”
(Image: ITV)
He added: “You’ll remember your history no doubt, that’s what the germans who invaded in the second world war were charged with at the Nuremberg trials.
“That’s clear, it’s unequivocally happened and the use of cluster bombs again against civilian women and children. It’s difficult to think of a more egregious act.”
It was his co-star Susanna who mentioned the comparisons between Putin and Hitler as well as dropping in Rob’s “personal history which is wrapped up in what happened in the World War II”.
(Image: ITV)
In response, the judge, who hails from a large Jewish family, told his co-star: “We have to be careful about making sure that when we use parallels like that, that they’re right.
“One of the big issues here is that people have been picking up that stone of Nazism, Putin especially and using that as a pretext to invade.
“Let’s remember that the President of Ukraine is Jewish and his family is Jewish. In terms of a nation seeking dominance, seeking territory, it has so many of the hallmarks history and what happens when we forget history is that we are, of course, doomed to repeat it.
“It seems to me now is the time to stand up,” explained Rob.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV and ITV Hub.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
