MOSCOW, September 30. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said the West laid its hands on Russia’s riches at the end of the 20th century, funneling out trillions of dollars out of the country.
"The West was finally able to get hold of Russia’s riches at the end of the 20th century when the country was in ruins. They called us friends, partners then, but in fact, treated us as a colony," he said at a ceremony for accepting four new territories - the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions - into Russia.
Putin said trillions of dollars were funneled out of the country through various schemes at the time.
"We remember everything. We haven’t forgotten anything," he said.
Putin said Russia faced plans of foreign intervention multiple times.
"They tried to use the Time of Troubles at the start of the 17th century and the period of upheaval following 1917. They failed," he said.