Putin: Russia’s relations with Europe in crisis, not our fault

Russian President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of the Russian Security Council that relations between Russia and Europe are in crisis, according to the TASS news agency. He said Moscow bears no responsibility for the deterioration and has never refused to develop co-operation with European countries.

Putin argued that the causes of the crisis are not directly linked to current developments in Ukraine. He attributed responsibility to the previous US administration and some European Union leaders, saying their actions had destabilised relations between Russia and Europe.

He identified the events in Ukraine in 2014 as a key moment which, in his view, triggered the chain of events leading to the current conflict. ‘Because it was they who supported the coup in Ukraine, which later triggered a chain reaction of tragic events that are still taking place on the Ukrainian scene,’ he added.

At the same time, the Russian president said Russia is interested in restoring relations with Europe, but regards the current situation as a consequence of decisions taken by Western countries. The remarks were made during a videoconference with the council’s permanent members.

(max)