“At the same time, there is talk about some kind of new world order, the idea behind it is actually the same: hypocrisy, double standards, claims to exclusivity, to global dominance, to the preservation of an essentially neo-colonial system,” Putin said at a meeting with representatives of religious associations of Russia.
The president also offered condolences to families of those killed in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
"I sincerely want to express my condolences to the families of Israelis and citizens of other countries whose loved ones died and were injured in the attack on October 7 this year," Putin stressed.
The Russian president also called the current escalation of the conflict in the Middle East a "humanitarian catastrophe."
"For us, the obvious outcome [of the October 7 attack] is that innocent people [in the Gaza Strip] should not be held accountable for crimes committed by others. The fight against terrorism cannot be conducted according to the notorious principle of collective responsibility… this is a real humanitarian catastrophe," Putin emphasized, adding that it is necessary to stop the bloodshed.
Putin also noted that there are attempts to "drag as many countries as possible" into the conflict.