Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Lucy Leeson

Putin blasts West’s ‘moron’ leaders for hitting Russia with sanctions

Vladimir Putin blasted the West’s “moron” leaders for threatening Russia with new sanctions if he refuses to meet Volodymyr Zelensky for ceasefire negotiations on Thursday.

Speaking at the 20th Congress of the Business Russia Organisation on Tuesday (13 May), Putin said: “You'd think they wouldn't do this or that, since it clearly hurts them, but nope, they still do it.”

He then exclaimed: “Morons!”

His comment was met with laughter from the audience, before Putin went on to apologise, adding: “The world's top economies are tipping into recession just to spite us.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.