Russian President Vladimir Putin has hit at France for its stance on Ukraine and slammed Germany as being a vassal state of the United States.
Putin was speaking to foreign journalists at the annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum. You can find the full interview here: Full Text of Putin's Interview
Putin first singled out Germany, responding to its recent decision to allow Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia with long-range German-made weapons, linking the move to the United States' position.
"We understand, as one of the well-known German politicians once said, Germany has never been fully sovereign since World War II."
"I understand the Federal Republic's dependence in the field of defense and overall security. I further understand the dependency in the field of politics and information policy, because wherever you look, in any major publication there the ultimate beneficiary is on the other side of the ocean – some American fund. Kudos to these American funds for being able to so tightly hold their influence on the European information space," Putin added.
He further accused the German government of neglecting its citizens' interests.
"It’s strange that no one in today’s German leadership is defending German interests. Understandable that Germany lacks full sovereignty, but there are Germans. Their interests should be taken account at least a little bit."
Putin also targeted France for its support of Ukraine and putting its relations with the US above its own interests.
The Russian leader claimed that the French are either unaware or do not value their own historical significance at the end of World War II.
"By the way, do the French know that it was Stalin who insisted that France be present and, actually, not just present, but be a signatory to the surrender treaty, the German Instrument of Surrender 1945? Both the United States and Great Britain objected.
Stalin insisted that France be present as a victor at the signing of the German Instrument of Surrender Act. The French do not remember this: they either do not want to or simply don't see it as important. But it is a historical fact."
Putin warned that supporting Ukraine's strikes inside Russia could lead to "very serious problems".
"We are considering the idea that if someone deems it possible to supply such weapons to the conflict zone for strikes on our territory and to create problems for us, then why shouldn't we have the right to supply our weapons of the same class to those regions of the world where strikes will be carried out on sensitive targets in the countries that are doing this against Russia?" the Russian president said.
"The response could be symmetrical. We will think on this", he concluded.
