Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Western nations of employing "unsavoury" methods in a desperate attempt to regain global leadership "by any means necessary." Speaking on Friday at a BRICS Business Forum panel in New Delhi, the Russian leader argued that while corporate competition is natural, it has increasingly evolved into political and state-level aggression.
Putin alleged that these Western measures include physical attacks on industrial sites, logistics facilities, and energy pipelines. He further stated that there have been deliberate attempts to obstruct international transport corridors and seize maritime vessels. Additionally, he accused Western countries of imposing restrictive measures and issuing threats regarding secondary sanctions.
According to the Russian president, more than 30,000 sanctions have been levied against Russia, a figure he claimed is nearly double the total number of sanctions imposed on all other nations combined. Despite this pressure, Putin asserted that the measures have actually bolstered Russia's national sovereignty and pushed Moscow to strengthen alliances with "reliable, predictable partners."
He emphasized that the BRICS group remains prepared to cooperate with all interested partners. Putin arrived in India earlier on Friday for a three-day visit, with plans to attend the 18th BRICS summit scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
