Putin Blames West for Europe’s Upheaval, Sharpens Attack on G7 at BRICS

Russian President Vladimir Putin turned Europe’s political upheaval into a fresh attack on Western leadership on Saturday, blaming what he called its “systemic mistakes” for developments across the continent as leaders gathered for the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

Responding to the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the country’s state elections, Putin argued that the West’s troubles stemmed from decisions taken across politics, security and the economy.

“I think that everything that is now happening in Europe as a whole is the result of systemic mistakes by the so-called West, or, more precisely, by the West’s globalists,” he said on the sidelines of the summit.

His criticism centred on what he described as the triumphalism of Western leaders following the Cold War and the Soviet Union’s collapse.

“Everyone makes mistakes. We have made quite a few mistakes ourselves, as has the rest of the world,” Putin said. But Western leaders, he argued, had come to believe they stood at the “top of Olympus”, where everything was permitted and their judgement was beyond question.

The remarks followed the AfD’s strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt. According to Al Jazeera, citing exit polls released by German broadcaster ARD, the party was projected to win 44.5% of the vote, well ahead of the 18.5% for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union.

That projected lead did not settle who would govern. The exit polls suggested the AfD had narrowly missed an absolute parliamentary majority, while mainstream parties maintained their refusal to cooperate with it, commonly described as a political “firewall”.

AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund called the projected result historic and said the party was prepared to engage with those willing to support fundamental political change.

The electoral pressure extended beyond one state. According to DW, a new poll in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania put the AfD three points ahead. DW also reported that former chancellor Angela Merkel had warned that truth and lies were increasingly being blurred, including by people in power, while acknowledging that some decisions during her tenure had helped fuel support for the party.

Putin used that backdrop to press an argument he had advanced in New Delhi the previous evening: that established Western powers were losing ground as new centres of economic influence emerged.

Friday’s Broadside: G7, Sanctions and Shifting Economic Power

Addressing the BRICS Business Forum on Friday, Putin questioned the G7’s standing and portrayed BRICS economies as increasingly important drivers of global growth.

Referring to the grouping as the “so-called G7”, he said: “The Great 7—I don’t know why they call that.”

Putin claimed BRICS countries accounted for more than 40% of global GDP, compared with 29% for the G7. He also said BRICS had contributed more than half of global economic growth over the previous five years, against 18% for the G7.

He attributed that performance to the populations and “dynamic, vibrant, domestic markets” of BRICS countries, arguing that new engines of growth were replacing economies that had led the expansion of the second half of the 20th century.

His economic pitch came with a sharp denunciation of sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine, including threats of secondary sanctions against countries buying Russian oil.

“Sometimes competition is taking some ugly forms,” Putin said, citing destroyed pipelines, attempts to block transport corridors, the seizure of vessels and restrictions he described as illegal.

He claimed Russia faced more than 30,000 sanctions, twice the combined number imposed on all other countries. Despite those restrictions, he said, Russia had strengthened its sovereignty, developed relations with dependable partners and recorded economic growth above the global average over the previous three years.

Putin acknowledged that established economic powers retained substantial advantages in infrastructure, technology and scientific expertise. His contention, however, was that global economic leadership was changing.

Egypt Talks: Trade, Joint Projects and an October Invitation

Alongside Friday’s public criticism of the West, Putin pursued closer engagement with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in a bilateral meeting reported overnight.

According to the Russian foreign ministry’s account, Putin said trade between the two countries was growing and becoming more diversified, while major joint projects remained on schedule despite international difficulties.

“Bilateral trade is growing, and its structure is steadily improving,” he said, describing Egypt as a “long-standing and reliable friend”.

The discussion also covered regional and international developments. Putin stressed that Cairo’s assessments influenced Moscow’s own decisions.

“You know that we take Egypt’s stance into account in our practical policy-making,” he told el-Sisi, calling the meeting an opportunity to consult on both bilateral ties and the international agenda.

He invited the Egyptian president to Moscow in October for the next Russia–Africa Summit, recalling their role in establishing the partnership framework in Sochi.

The engagements followed Putin’s bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, ahead of the formal opening of the September 12–13 BRICS Summit. Across his appearances in New Delhi, the Russian president combined criticism of Western power with an appeal for stronger economic and diplomatic partnerships through BRICS.

With inputs from ANI