Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the West’s duplicity in its dealings with Moscow, and its broader “hypocrisy,” saying Russia will no longer tolerate the broken promises of NATO and its allies. Speaking at the conclusion of the BRICS summit in Kazan, on Thursday, Putin emphasized his dissatisfaction with the West’s disregard for international agreements and fairness.
“Is it fair to lie to our faces about NATO not expanding, and then expand it anyway?” Putin asked, referring to assurances given to Russia in the 1990s. He also criticized the 2014 US-backed Maidan coup in Ukraine –which ousted the country’s democratically elected president Victor Yanukovich – saying it was a violation of international law. He added that it had led directly to the ongoing conflict between Kiev and Moscow.
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“There is no justice here,” Putin remarked. “We want to change this situation. And we will achieve it.”
The Russian president also rejected recent claims by UK intelligence that Moscow was responsible for unrest in the UK, dismissing them as “nonsense.” Putin argued that any problems in Britain were due to its own domestic policies, not Russian interference.
Russia is not interested in perpetuating conflict but wants fairness in global politics, Putin added. “We want to change this situation, and we will achieve it,” he said firmly. He criticized the West for pushing policies that harm both international law and diplomacy, suggesting that Russia will not stand idly by.
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His comments come amid rising tensions between Russia and NATO, with Putin highlighting what he sees as the West’s continual hypocrisy on security matters.
The head of the British Security Service (MI5), Ken McCallum, claimed earlier this month that the UK support for Ukraine has made London a target of Russian propaganda and subterfuge, seeking more power and government funding to deal with the alleged threat.