Ukraine Launches Simpsons GIF in Bizarre Twitter War With Russia
The government of Ukraine’s official Twitter account targeted Vladimir Putin on Tuesday over a historical reference that the Russian president made during a recent press conference, and included an animated GIF from an episode of The Simpsons.
According to a Tuesday report from CNN, Putin had mentioned during a joint appearance with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday that the wife of King Henry I of France was “Russian Anne.”
Of course, this labeling didn’t sit well with the Ukrainian government, as Anne Yaroslavna was from Kiev, the capital of present-day Ukraine. Anne was the granddaughter of Vladimir the Great, a prominent historical figure in both Russia and Ukraine. They protested Putin’s reference in their initial Twitter post.
When @Russia says Anne de Kiev established Russia-France relations, let us remind the sequence of events pic.twitter.com/nBKhQdyKql
— Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) May 30, 2017
The forest graphic points to the fact that Moscow wasn’t founded until decades after Anne married Henry.
Russia’s foreign ministry replied to Ukraine’s Tweet several hours later. Ukraine retorted with its first pop culture reference.
@Ukraine @Russia Don’t be jealous, @Ukraine. In 1051 Kiev was capital of the united #Rus which included territories of modern ??, ?? and ??. pic.twitter.com/TMX5KiGAPl
— MFA Russia ?? (@mfa_russia) May 30, 2017
@mfa_russia @Russia @diplohistory Kyivan Rus stretched to modern-day areas of ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? too. Don’t give the “triune nation” nonsense pls and comply with int law pic.twitter.com/DVO9NToZiP
— Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) May 30, 2017
An official sister account of the Russian foreign ministry’s Twitter page also chimed in on the controversy, which prompted Ukraine’s Simpsons reference.
@Ukraine We are proud of our common history. ??, ?? & ?? share the same historical heritage which should unite our nations, not divide us. pic.twitter.com/hdmkuGy22p
— РоссиЯ ?? (@Russia) May 30, 2017
@Russia You really don’t change, do you? pic.twitter.com/HDfS9A8jWZ
— Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) May 30, 2017
The animated graphic is taken from the 1998 episode, “Simpson Tide,” and features a hilarious sequence where the Soviet Union reemerges from its slumber.
… Maybe a little too prescient.
[image via screengrab]
