Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the US of trying to contain Russia and called its response to the Capitol siege a manifestation of the West’s double standards. Speaking at an economic forum in St Petersburg, Mr Putin said that arms control, global conflicts, the coronavirus pandemic and climate change are among the issues he and US President Joe Biden would discuss during their summit in Geneva on June 16. “We need to find ways of looking for a settlement in our relations, which are at an extremely low level now,” Mr Putin said. Mr Putin pointed out that the heavy charges against hundreds of participants in the Capitol siege were filed even as the US and its allies strongly criticised Belarus’ crackdown on anti-government protests. And he charged that even as the West has criticised Russian authorities for a harsh response to anti-Kremlin protests, protesters in Europe have faced even tougher police response.

Source: Irish Independent June 04, 2021 16:05 UTC