Protests in Europe stem from ‘own mistakes’ – Putin

The EU has failed to instill its values in migrants while at the same time undermining their countries of origin, the Russian president has said

Recent protests across Europe were the result of the EU’s own mistakes, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, adding that European countries were struggling to manage the migration crisis.

“Europeans are dismantling their own traditions, so they are even less able to convey them to migrants,” Putin said in an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin.

Mass protests have again swept across Europe over the weekend, with demonstrators clashing with riot police amid widespread anger over soaring living costs and government policies.

The unrest has largely been inspired by the protests in France, which began in September and then spread to other countries carrying a broader anti-government undertone.

Putin said some European leaders were unable to take responsibility for unrest, adding that instead of analyzing the situation and identifying its causes, they tend to blame other countries – first the US and now Russia.

Read more

“But they quickly came to their senses and reverted to their traditional accusations against Russia. My first reaction when I saw this was surprise, because to claim that we are provoking mass protests in major European cities is really going too far,” the president said, adding that it reflects the leaders’ weakness in being unable to tackle the situation.

Putin believes Europe lacks the resources to integrate all migrants, and that has led to a crisis.

France remains a focal point of the protests, with at least 410,000 people taking to the streets nationwide on Saturday, including around 110,000 in Paris, according to French Interior Ministry figures.

Protests have also taken place across Italy, following a wave of violence last weekend in cities including Rome, Naples and Bologna. Police deployed water cannons and tear gas to disperse unruly demonstrators.

READ MORE: How French presidential hopefuls turn unrest into campaign ammo – RT reports

Major anti-government demonstrations have also been held in Brussels, Belgium and Lisbon, Portugal with thousands marching against soaring rents and unaffordable housing. Spain has joined the weekend of protests too, with a massive pensioners’ demonstration held in Madrid. On Friday night, protests erupted in the center of Barcelona with over 100 people arrested overnight.