Russia’s war in Ukraine, Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin is criticizing the United States for its alleged use of economic sanctions, financial restrictions and threats of military force to achieve its objectives on the global stage.
Commenting on a statement by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Putin referred to international relations as a dance, saying, Americans “do not know how to dance this tango.”
“The United States is trying to solve everything from a position of strength or with the help of economic sanctions or financial restrictions, with the threat of using military force, or by using it,” Putin said Friday.
Expanding on the dance analogy, Putin emphasized the importance for Ukraine to remember the “hopak,” a traditional Ukrainian folk dance, alluding to the need for Ukraine to maintain its independence from external influences.
“I think that for Ukraine, it is important not to forget the hopak. This is what is important, otherwise, they will dance to someone else’s tune all the time,” he said, responding to media questions after a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Sochi.
Putin reiterated that Russia has never refused to negotiate.
“Therefore, if the other side wants to, they should say it directly,” he added.
In turn, Lukashenko claimed the United States was instructing Ukraine not to “tango” with Russia and “therefore, they have no reason to blame others,” he said.
Some context: The US has been working to continue its pressure on Moscow through further sanctions as cracks emerged this summer in Russia’s economy and society because of the war and unprecedented sanctions against the regime from the US and its Western allies.
On Thursday, the Biden administration announced its latest tranche of sanctions against the Kremlin that targets Russian elites profiting off the war as well as sectors critical to Moscow’s military effort.
Additionally, on the heels of a meeting between Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the US is also targeting elites and families involved in the deepening relations between Russia and North Korea. The US has been warning about a deal between the two countries that could provide Russia weapons in exchange for ballistic missile technology.
CNN’s Sam Fossum and Michael Conte contributed reporting to this post.
