Russian nationalist lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky dies at 75

AP ^ | 4/6/2022

[mvonfr]

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian nationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a senior lawmaker whose sulphurous rhetoric and antics alarmed the West but appealed to Russians’ aggrievement and wounded pride, has died at age 75, the speaker of the lower house of Russia’s parliament said Wednesday.

State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said Zhirinovsky died after “a serious and prolonged illness.” The lawmaker was hospitalized with COVID-19 on Feb. 2; in late March, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Zhirinovsky was “in serious condition.”

As the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party for three decades, Zhirinovsky was infamous for making vehement statements that were neither liberal nor democratic, and typically delivered with a ferocious glare.

He advocated for Russia to forcefully regain control of Alaska from the United States, suggested that Russia hit former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s residence with a nuclear weapon and said he wanted a DNA test to see if he was related to Donald Trump.

[mvonfr]

A couple of comments.

This may be the end of what used to be the 2nd or the 3rd political party in Russia -- not that anyone is to ban them, but this was his party and there is no replacement.

Yes, died from Covid. I believe he was vaccinated 8 times (both Russian and Western vaccines), perhaps this is why he managed to survive on the ventilator for two months.

A bit of a mystery: Zhirinovsky made a prediction about 6 months ago about the War in the Ukraine and stated that the war will begin on the 22nd of February. Close. Marking on some of the Russian armor in the first days of war were ZZ.0Z.ZZ -- remember the mystery of letter Z? Maybe yes, maybe no.

Never heard about DNA test... either a fake or a joke.

[MercyFlush]

“Russian nationalist lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky dies at 75”

Alaskans will sleep better tonight.

[tlozo]

Russian nationalist lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky dies at 75

[Chode]

Z are the southern Russian units
Z in a box are the units out of Crimea
O are the ones out of Byelorussia
V are the marines
X are the Roman Kadriov Chechens (real bad dudes)
A are the Spetnaz

[DesertRhino]

The world is a little better without him. Not a good guy in any way.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"As the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party for three decades, Zhirinovsky was infamous for making vehement statements that were neither liberal nor democratic"

You mean totalitarian and evil ? He absolutely was the perfect "Liberal Democrat", just like you, Ape Pee.

[Widget Jr]

#1. How the Kremlin's 'jester' appeared to predict the date of Russia entering Ukraine months ago , Telegraph UK.

On Dec 27, 2021 two months before the invasion, Zhirinovsky said Russia's foreign policy would change on Feb 22. 2022 would be the year when Russia becomes great again. Two days before the invasion, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs changed its twitter logo to "22022" (not "ZZ.0Z.ZZ"). To me it looks like he was given permission to talk the invasion using misdirection.

He played the overly aggressive loudmouth while serving as a Putin and Kremlin loyalist. The Russian Liberal Democrat party he created serves as controlled opposition to divide any real opposition. For thirty years he did his job.

There was no one quite like him in post-Soviet collapse Russian politics. Let us hope it will take a long time to see anyone like him again.