The foreign secretary has agreed that President Putin is using the World Cup in Russia as a “PR exercise” akin to how Hitler used the 1936 Olympics.
Labour MP Ian Austin put it to Boris Johnson that the Russian president wanted to “gloss over [his] brutal corrupt regime”.
Mr Johnson replied: “I’m afraid that’s completely right, completely right.”
He added that he would have an “urgent conversation” with Russia about the safety of fans at the tournament.
The foreign secretary said it was of “crucial importance” in light of 23 British diplomats being expelled from Russia – including the individual responsible for football fans.
The exchange came as the Foreign Affairs Select Committee discussed the Salisbury spy attack.
Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia remain in a critical condition in hospital after being poisoned with the Russian nerve agent Novichok.
The former military intelligence officer and his daughter were found slumped on a bench and unconscious on 4 March.
Earlier, Boris Johnson described it as “a sign” from President Putin that “no one could escape the long arm of Russian revenge”.
He also claimed Russia chose the UK for the attack because it had “called out” Russian abuses “time and again”.
Hitler became German leader in 1933 and used Berlin’s hosting of the Summer Games of 1936 as part of the propaganda for his Nazi regime.
He had already brought in rules in the country to ensure all athletics organisations had an “Aryan-only” policy, which led to international backlash.
Mr Austin told the foreign secretary he loved football and watching the England team, but was “filled with horror” over how President Putin would use the event.
“The idea of Putin handing over the World Cup to the captain of the winning team; the idea of Putin using this as a PR exercise to gloss over the brutal, corrupt regime for which he is responsible; it fills me with horror,” he said.
Mr Johnson could be heard saying, “I’m afraid that’s completely right, completely right”, during Mr Austin’s comments.
The foreign secretary then added: “Your characterisation of what is going to happen in Moscow in the World Cup, in all the venues, yes, I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right.
“I think it is an emetic prospect frankly to think of Putin glorying in this sporting event.”
‘Wrong to punish team’
However, when Mr Austin said he believed the football team should pull out of the competition, Mr Johnson disagreed.
“On balance it would be wrong to punish them [the fans] or the team who have worked on this for an incredibly long time, given up their lives to it,” he said.
On the issue of fan safety, Mr Johnson said he needed to have an “urgent conversation” with the Russians around how they “propose to fulfil their obligations under their FIFA contract to look after all fans”.
However, he admitted this conversation had yet to take place.
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