Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the U.S. for the crisis in Ukraine and radical Islamic terrorism and claimed there is “no true democracy” in America during a speech on Friday.
Mr. Putin said during a meeting with foreign journalists and Russian experts that the U.S. has failed to use its global power wisely over the past two decades, creating a new world order that is unilateral and unfair, The Guardian reported.
He told the group assembled at a mountain resort outside the former Olympic city of Sochi that Russia was not responsible for the unrest in Ukraine, insisting that the U.S. had pushed the country into chaos and tried to “remake the whole world based on its interests,” Business Insider reported Friday.
Mr. Putin again denied that Russia had sparked civil unrest in Ukraine, saying “Statements that Russia is trying to reinstate some sort of empire, that it is encroaching on the sovereignty of its neighbors, are groundless,” the Guardian reported Friday. When a British journalist asked Mr. Putin about reports of Russian troops stationed in eastern Ukraine, Mr. Putin ignored the question entirely.
During his speech, which Reuters described as a “diatribe … that was reminiscent of the Cold War,” Mr. Putin blasted American society and government. His comments including critiques of the electoral college, according to tweets from ABC News’ Moscow Bureau chief Kirit Radia.
“The bear isn’t asking anyone for permission. The bear is considered a strong and very traditional animal… [but] will not surrender,” Mr. Putin said according to Mr. Radia.
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• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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