MOSCOW, November 30. / TASS /. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the outcomes of the Arab Spring tragic for the countries engaged in it, while speaking at the VTB Capital's 13th Annual Investment Forum ‘Russia Calling!’.

"Exactly ten years ago, the whole civilized world applauded the Arab Spring. And where is this ‘spring’? Nothing has happened except for the tragedy. Why? Because the external forces started to use the objective difficulties that some countries face to undermine the existing situation and to build life in these states in line with their own patterns. The same attempt was made in Afghanistan. We all know very well how it ended. On the one hand, we see that many of our partners say that they were wrong <…> but they continue to behave this way in other regions across the world," the Russian leader noted.

The Arab Spring refers to the massive protests that engulfed several countries in the Middle East and North Africa since the 2010s. In some states, the events of the Arab Spring resulted into the change of the regime and serious political transformation, while Libya, Yemen and Syria faced protracted civil wars.