Putin lashes out at 'selfish, neo-colonial' Western powers

Russian President Vladimir Putin used the opening of a security conference in Moscow on Tuesday to take familiar swipes at Western powers, blaming them for fuelling unrest around the globe.
Conflicts in large parts of the world were solely caused by the "geopolitical adventures and the selfish, neo-colonial behaviour of the West," Putin said in a video message to participants.
Among them was new Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu.
Putin, who ordered Europe's biggest war since 1945 with his full-blown invasion of Ukraine almost 18 months ago, said there were secretive Western forces playing peoples off against each other with the aim of creating vassal states.
The goal, he went on, was to "mercilessly exploit their resources within the framework of a neo-colonial system."
The Kremlin boss has long accused the West of conspiring against anything and everything Russian. The rhetoric has become increasingly bellicose and threatening since the war in Ukraine erupted and the United States and European countries responded by leading the charge to impose a web of financial and trade sanctions.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said last year that Putin's world view was warped by "great power mania and imperialism."
Russia seemed to be trying to use the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security to shore up alliances.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow wants to increase cooperation with Asian countries such as India, Vietnam, Myanmar, Mongolia, Laos, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
State media said more than 800 representatives from 76 nations are taking part in the conference, the Chinese defence minister among the most prominent.
China is Russia's largest trading partner and has refrained from imposing sanctions on Russia. China's leadership has not publicly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, instead focusing on acting as a mediator between the two warring parties.
Beijing and Moscow declared a "no limits" partnership shortly before Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022.
Chinese Defence Minister Li said his country has established military cooperation with more than 150 countries around the world and wants to strengthen it.
According to a Russian transcript of his speech on Tuesday to the attendees in Moscow, Li said Beijing is seeking to raise the level of military cooperation with European states and bolster traditional partnerships with Latin American, Caribbean and South Pacific states.
Li, who took office in March, is travelling through Russia and Belarus for several days to meet the two countries' military leaders.