‘That Doesn’t Make Any Sense’: Mehdi Hasan Baffled by Jill Stein’s Non-Answer to Putin Question
Mehdi Hasan grilled Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein as to whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, prompting an evasive response that seemed to perplex the journalist.
Stein was infamously photographed sitting at Putin’s table at a dinner in Moscow in 2015 honoring RT – a Russian propaganda network. That was the year after Russia invaded and annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region.
In an interview released by Zeteo on Monday, Hasan grilled Stein on Putin’s more recent invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022. Putin has stated the aim of the war is to replace the current Ukrainian government led by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Specifically, Hasan asked Stein and her running mate Butch Ware whether Putin is a war criminal. The perennial presidential candidate refused to answer the question.
“We looked at your social media and you haven’t done that many posts specifically calling out Russian attacks on civilian areas,” Hasan said before referencing Israel’s prime minister and the war in Gaza. “You haven’t called Vladimir Putin a war criminal, but you have called Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal.”
“No, actually we did,” Stein protested. “In my very first remarks about the Ukraine war, we condemned–”
“Vladimir Putin’s a war criminal?” Hasan pressed.
“Yes, we did,” Stein insisted.
“And Bashar al-Assad’s a war criminal?” Hasan followed up by referring to the Syrian dictator.
“Yes,” Stein replied. “In so many words, yes, we have said as much.”
Hasan then decided to ask Stein point blank if Putin is a criminal:
HASAN: You called Netanyahu one, which I think he is.
STEIN: Oh, absolutely.
HASAN: But is Putin a war criminal?
STEIN: So, what we said about Putin was that his invasion of Ukraine is criminal. It’s a criminal and murderous war.
HASAN: And he’s a war criminal who should be on trial?
STEIN: Well, by implication, by implication–
HASAN: You’re struggling here to say something very simple. This is why people have their doubts about you and Russia.
STEIN: Well–
HASAN: Why is Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal, but not Vladimir Putin?
STEIN: Well, as John F. Kennedy said, we must not negotiate out of fear and we must not fear to negotiate. So, if you want to be an effective world leader, you don’t start by name-calling and hurling epithets.
HASAN: So, how will President Stein negotiate with Israel then if you’ve called Netanyahu a war criminal?
STEIN: Well, because he very clearly is a war criminal.
HASAN: Oh, so Putin clearly isn’t a war criminal?
STEIN: Well, we don’t have a decision – put it this way – by the International Criminal Court.
HASAN: Yes, we do. Actually, you’re wrong. There’s an arrest warrant for Putin. There isn’t an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. So why is Putin not a war criminal, but Netanyahu is?
STEIN: Yeah, um, well let me say–
HASAN: I think they both are. You don’t.
STEIN: Well, let me say this. We are sponsoring that war. We are sponsoring Netanyahu. He is our dog in this fight.
HASAN: No disagreement from me at all. But that does not answer my question. Whether we sponsor them or not is irrelevant. Either you’re a war criminal or you’re not. Is Vladimir Putin a war criminal?
STEIN: In so many words, yes he is.
HASAN: I don’t know what so many words are. Butch, is Vladimir Putin a war criminal?
STEIN: Let me say that whatever you think he is–
HASAN: It doesn’t matter what I think. I’m asking what you think. You’re running for president. I’m not.
STEIN: If you are a world leader, you don’t begin your conversation by calling someone a war criminal–
HASAN: So why have you called Biden and Netanyahu war criminals?
STEIN: Because we have a clear strategy–
HASAN: That doesn’t make any sense to me.
Watch above via Zeteo.
