Russia dismisses murderer's admiration for Putin as 'ravings of a lunatic'

Published on Tuesday 26 July 2011 19:02

ANDERS Breivik has caused potential embarrassment for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin by describing him as worthy of respect and one of the two men he would most like to meet.

Mr Putin's spokesman dismissed the comments as the "ravings of a lunatic", and a pro-Kremlin youth group distanced itself from Breivik after it was also praised in a manifesto he wrote before Friday's bombing and shooting spree.

But the remarks have started making waves on the blogosphere, and the Russian social networking site Vkontakte, which resembles Facebook, said it had blocked access to a friend group that had voiced support for Breivik.

Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian newspaper Kommersant as saying Breivik "was the devil incarnate".

"He is absolutely insane and, no matter what he wrote or said, these are the ravings of a lunatic," he said.

Mr Putin is described in Breivik's 1,500-page manifesto as "a fair and resolute leader worthy of respect".

"Name one living person you would like to meet?" Breivik asks rhetorically. His answer: "The Pope or Vladimir Putin."

Breivik also praised Japan, describing it in his manifesto as a model country that shied away from multiculturalism. He said he would like to meet former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso, a right-leaning conservative.