According to a report from the TV channel Russia 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin framed the United States as a spider attempting to pull the world into its web during a briefing on the situation in Dagestan. The characterization underscored a view of Washington as seeking to influence global events from a position of power.
Putin is quoted as saying that the source of malign influence lies in a force that uses people to achieve strategic aims on the battlefield while disguising its actions. He argued that this power has allegedly exploited the territory of Ukraine for many years, shaping outcomes to its benefit.
The president also asserted that the top echelons of the U.S. leadership and their allies profit from ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and other regions, shaping a broader pattern of intervention and risk creation.
Earlier remarks attributed to Putin claimed that the United States leverages Ukraine as a tool against Russia and the Union State with Belarus, portraying the conflict as part of a larger geopolitical strategy.
In a separate comment, former President Dmitry Medvedev referred to the United States and Ukraine with terms that conveyed strong disapproval, signaling a continued exchange of sharp rhetoric between Moscow and Kyiv and their international allies.