At the recent BRICS summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an unexpected response to a question from BBC Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg. Rosenberg asked about Russia’s actions and their alignment with the BRICS countries' declaration for global security, stability, and justice. This was the first time since the Ukraine invasion in 2022 that a BBC journalist had the chance to directly question Putin.

Instead of answering directly, Putin turned the tables. He accused Western countries of expanding the NATO alliance eastward, towards Russia. "For years, we’ve been ignored when we asked partners not to expand NATO east, " he said. "Is it fair to lie about not expanding and then do it? Is it fair to build military bases in Ukraine? "

Putin accused NATO of disregarding international law and financing a coup in Ukraine, pushing the situation towards conflict. He concluded by saying, "There’s no justice here. We want to change this, and we will. "

When Rosenberg brought up allegations from MI5 about Russia causing chaos in British and European streets, Putin dismissed it as "utter rubbish. "

Putin's Surprising Response to BBC Journalist's Question

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