Putin: "Russia is responding seriously to Ukraine’s strikes on energy infrastructure. We were forced into it"
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has cynically threatened Ukraine with new strikes on its energy infrastructure.
He made the remarks during a meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Russian media reported, according to Censor.NET.
The Kremlin leader claimed that Russia had "tolerated" Ukrainian attacks on its energy infrastructure for a long time but then "began to respond seriously."
Putin also urged Eastern European countries to stop supplying gas and oil to Ukraine in order to halt strikes on energy facilities.
"Ukraine is trying to damage us, but it is also harming our partners. What can be said? After all, Ukraine receives a significant volume of energy resources through its neighbors in Eastern Europe. Shut down their reverse gas supplies, shut down their electricity supplies," Putin said.
Putin also noted that under Donald Trump, the United States "began to hear Russia," and that, in his words, the Alaska summit demonstrated this.
He expressed hope that constructive dialogue between Moscow and Washington would continue.
