Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, clarified on Thursday that Moscow is not severing ties with Europe. Instead, the president suggested that Europe is building barriers "to their own detriment" and closing the "door" to Russia.
"They - the West needed this conflict, I don't think it was by chance," Putin pointed out, highlighting that Moscow had repeatedly cautioned that Ukraine represented a "red line" that should not be crossed. The Russian president accused Europe of "giving up" its sovereignty and aligning with Washington's policies despite knowing that the sanctions imposed against Moscow would hurt its economy.
"Now they are buying this energy from the US which is 30% more expensive," Putin stressed. "We are moving away from the declining European market and are increasing our presence in other growing markets, like Asia," the Russian president said.