MOSCOW (AP) – The United States is destabilizing the global order by trying to impose its will on other nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Friday, warning that the world will face new wars if Washington fails to respect the interests of other countries.
In a speech to political experts in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin pointed to wars in Iraq, Libya and Syria as examples of botched U.S. policies that have led to chaos.
With visible emotion, he said Washington and its allies have been “fighting against the results of its own policy” in those countries.
“They are throwing their might to remove the risks they have created themselves, and they are paying an increasing price,” Putin said.
Turning to Ukraine, Putin accused the West of ignoring Russia’s legitimate interests in its neighbor and supporting the ouster of Ukraine’s former Russian-leaning president. He accused the West of breaking its promises, citing a February phone conversation with President Barack Obama just hours before protesters in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, drove President Viktor Yanukovych out of office.