Russian President Vladimir Putin called European leaders "little pigs" who wanted to profit from Russia's decline.
Speaking at an annual meeting with the Defense Ministry, the Russian president blamed former US President Joe Biden for "knowingly" starting the war in Ukraine and said that "little European pigs" immediately supported the Americans.
Europe wanted to take back "something it lost in previous historical periods and take revenge" on Russia, Putin said, adding that these plans had "completely failed," writes Politico, the Telegraph reports.
"Russia has demonstrated its stability in the economy, finances, in the internal political situation of society... and in the sphere of defense capacity," Putin claimed.
Putin also said that Russia is ready for dialogue with Europe, but this will not be possible with the current group of European politicians.
He praised the Russian military, saying that "nobody in the world" has an army as good as Russia's and that it is now "experienced in war."
According to Russian media, former Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev — now the head of Putin's Security Council — used the words "little pigs" to describe Western leaders on his Telegram channel in 2022.
Putin's harsh comments came as US officials claimed that previous talks with Ukraine in Berlin had resolved about 90% of the most difficult issues.
But major doubts remain about whether the Russian leader is prepared to compromise on his comprehensive demands.
Putin has repeatedly insisted that Kiev release the remaining parts of the eastern Donbas region that are still under Ukrainian control — a demand that the White House occasionally appears to support, but which Ukraine has categorically rejected.
Moscow has also demanded strict restrictions on Ukraine's military, a ban on Western troops on Ukrainian territory and an end to Western military support.
The Russian leader on Wednesday also denied that Moscow was planning to invade NATO territory, claiming instead that the alliance had begun preparations for a possible military confrontation with Russia, aiming for 2030. /Telegraph/
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