Putin Questions UK’s Commitment to Democracy after Brexit - from TRUNEWS

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the market turbulence caused by Britain’s vote to leave the European Union will subside in the medium term but it remains to be seen if Britain will uphold its democratic principles.

Addressing his biannual meeting with Russian ambassadors abroad and special envoys, Putin said Russia had not influenced the British referendum.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting of Russian ambassadors in Moscow, Russia, June 30, 2016. REUTERS/Ivan Sekretarev/Pool

“I would like to stress yet again that the so-called Brexit is the choice of the British people, we did not interfere with this process and are not tampering with it in anyway,” he said.

“Now let’s see how they will implement the principles of democracy,” Putin said. “The referendum results … have rocked the markets, but in the medium term everything will recover.”

Britain’s decision to quit the European Union could send damaging shockwaves through the bedrock Anglo-American “special relationship,” raising questions about London’s willingness and ability to back U.S.-led efforts in global crises ranging from the Middle East to Ukraine.

The loss of the strongest pro-U.S. voice within the 28-nation bloc, as a result of the “Brexit” referendum, threatens to weaken Washington’s influence in European policymaking and embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin to further challenge the West, analysts and former diplomats say.

The British referendum on Thursday, widely seen as reflecting an increasingly nationalistic and inward-looking public, also risks the splintering of the United Kingdom itself, which could further reduce its role and stature in world affairs.

Britain’s departure — which is not immediate and must be negotiated with the EU — could present the next U.S. president with a decision on whether to turn to other key European partners like Germany and France, essentially downgrading a special U.S. bond with London forged in World War Two.

(MOSCOW Reuters – Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova; writing by Dmitry Solovyov; editing by Jack Stubbs)

 

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