The strange and twisted story that has become the FIFA corruption chargers took another strange turn on Thursday, as Russian President Vladimir Putin took to the Russian airwaves and took the United States to task for handing down the indictments they did.
According to CNN, Putin took to Russian TV and had this to say about the Department of Justice charges against numerous FIFA executives:
“This is yet another obvious attempt to spread their jurisdiction to other (countries),” he said, referring to the United States.
Putin mentioned Blatter, who is seeking a fifth term during a scheduled vote Friday, saying he has “no doubt that this is obviously an attempt to prevent Mr. Blatter’s re-election (as) FIFA president.”
Nevermind the fact that American Jeff Weber was one of the main people indicted or the fact that these charges were all about things that happened through American banks and on American soil.
You’d think the Cold War was back on or something, but alas, it is 2015.
With Russia just ramping up building for its big day as host of the 2018 World Cup, lashing out against anything that could take away Putin’s second big stage in a decade is only natural. It would be laughable if only Putin wasn’t dead serious in his charges.
At least they have no actual basis in reality. But, the ramblings of a power-hungry dictator didn’t end there either, as Putin went on the warpath against the United States in general.
“We know the United States’ position on the former N.S.A. agent Snowden, who uncovered illegal acts by the United States around the globe,” Mr. Putin said, referring to the National Security Agency, for which Mr. Snowden worked as a contractor before exposing and denouncing some of its methods and fleeing to Russia. “Everyone, including Europe, is talking about this but nobody wants to give him asylum, guarantee his safety, nobody wants to quarrel with their partners, their old partners.”
The ramblings culminated with Putin’s final statement on why all of these things were brought up — to prove the United States, not FIFA or Sepp Blatter are the bad guys in all of this.
“Why have I recalled all this?” Mr. Putin asked himself. “Unfortunately, our American partners use these methods to achieve their selfish goals and persecute people illegally. I don’t rule out that this may be the same case with FIFA.”
Yes, Mr. Putin, it’s all been a conspiracy to bring the 2018 World Cup out of Russia and to the United States. Dang, you got us.
