Putin Compares J.K. Rowling Being 'Canceled' To Western Aggression, Harry Potter Author Condemns Russia’s Actions

J. K. Rowling took to Twitter on Friday to condemn Russia’s President Vladimir Putin for the continued invasion of and war against Ukraine after he mentioned her in a speech.

In a strange comparison, Putin shared his belief that just like how the “canceling” of J. K. Rowling was wrong over her views of trans women, he believes that the “Western” attitude towards Russia is also wrong and misplaced.

“J.K. Rowling was canceled because she, a writer of books that have sold millions of copies around the world, didn't please fans of so-called gender freedoms,” Putin said during his speech, translated from Russian by the BBC.

Just as, he claims, the West perpetuates a “gradual discrimination against everything linked to Russia... in a number of Western countries".

"They are banning Russian writers and books," he said."The proverbial 'cancel culture' has become a cancellation of culture."

In response, Rowling wrote that “critiques of Western cancel culture are possibly not best made by those” who slaughter “civilians for the crime of resistance,” and “who jail” or “poison their critics.” In her tweet, she shared an article highlighting the struggle of Russia’s main opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

During his speech, Putin also went back to World War II history with his criticisms, stating that the U.S. specifically leaves Russia's contributions in defeating the german Nazi regime out of its lessons, while Japan omits mentioning which country dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He appeared to be making an attempt overall at condemning Western culture for alleged discrimination against Russia and the Russian people.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has officially been ongoing for more than a month and has led to the displacement of more than 10 million people.