Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin also attributed the AfD's strong result in the recent state elections in Saxony-Anhalt to mistakes made by the West. Everything that is currently happening in Europe is the result of systematic mistakes by Western states in matters of politics, security and economics, Putin said at a press meeting in New Delhi. At the same time, he accused the governments of European countries of provoking an open conflict with Russia and thereby unsettling their citizens - which was then reflected in the election results in Germany.
The citizens of European countries understand what is happening, said Putin, who is currently in India for the summit of the Brics group of states at the weekend. He thinks the results in the Federal Republic are also based on this.
The pro-Kremlin TV correspondent Pavel Zarubin published a video on Telegram in which Putin's statements can be heard. Accordingly, the Kremlin chief had previously been asked to comment on the AfD's result in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt last Sunday. In a long answer, Putin explained his view of the situation in Europe.
Putin doesn't want to know about any threat
Russia does not threaten any European countries and has no basis for a conflict with them, since all questions have been resolved with the result of the Second World War, Putin said. But he also declared before the Russian invasion of Ukraine that Moscow was not planning a war.
Rather, the conflict comes from the European states, Putin said. «Do you want to revise the results of the Second World War? What are they driving the peoples of their countries to do? To war with the Russian Federation? Now they are talking about the fact that they are thinking about how to bring troops into the territory of Ukraine. That means war with Russia.”
Putin gave the order to attack Ukraine in February 2022. The destructive war has now been going on for more than four and a half years. A coalition of more than 35 countries agreed at the beginning of the year to give Ukraine a legally binding assurance that it would not be left alone after a possible peace agreement and in the event of another Russian attack. It also laid out the framework for a multinational force that would serve as a deterrent and support the Ukrainian armed forces in peacetime - for example in training soldiers and securing airspace and maritime areas.
The previous mediation efforts in the struggle to end the Russian war of aggression, most recently by the USA, have not brought any breakthrough. Moscow insists on maximum demands that amount to the subjugation of Ukraine.
Repeated threats from Moscow
EU states repeatedly accuse Russia of hybrid warfare. This refers to a combination of military, economic, secret service and propaganda means. This also includes cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns to influence public opinion, for example before elections.
The federal government also attributed an attempted attack with an explosive drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport to Russian secret services. The drone was found near a Ukrainian transport plane at the beginning of August. Russia denies the accusation.
In a reaction to German punitive measures, the deputy head of the Russian National Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said: “You deserve a direct strike against all German production facilities for military technology” and “certainly some other places in Berlin as well.” The ex-president repeatedly attracts attention with threats such as nuclear strikes against Western capitals such as Berlin, London or Paris.
