Putin Says European Leaders Blame Russia for Domestic Unrest Instead of Addressing Root Causes

Moscow, The Gulf Observer: Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticised European authorities for blaming Moscow for unrest in their countries, saying they are avoiding an analysis of the underlying causes of such developments and instead seeking to assign responsibility to others.

In an interview with Vesti reporter Pavel Zarubin, Putin said the accusations against Russia reflected weaknesses among the leadership of several European countries.

“Instead of analysing the events unfolding or looking for the underlying causes, they simply pin the blame on someone else, first on the US, and now on Russia,” Putin said.

He added that such an approach was detrimental to European leaders, as it diverted attention from examining the factors contributing to domestic unrest.

The Russian president’s remarks came amid continuing tensions between Moscow and several European governments over political and security issues.