But, first, what Putin said in this historic statement from Vladivostok:
A. He has been taken by surprise by the groundswell of refusal in Europe to accept anything and everything “in accordance with the wishes and policies” of the US. “I did not expect this, and what’s more I’m even surprised by it.” Putin took note that even the US’s “geopolitical ally” Britain is being guided by “national interests and common sense” and considerations of its “sovereignty.” Europe has begun, finally, to “analyse events, draw conclusions and act accordingly.”