Putin blames West for Gaza crisis, says US needs global chaos

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday sought to blame the West for the crisis in the Middle East, where Israel is bombing the Gaza Strip.

In a televised statement to a meeting of members of his Security Council and the government and the heads of law enforcement agencies, Putin said the "ruling elites of the US" and their "satellites" stood behind the killing of Gaza's Palestinians, and behind events in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria.

Putin accused the United States of being responsible for what he called "deadly chaos" unfolding in the Middle East.

"Who is organising the deadly chaos and who benefits from it today, in my opinion, has already become obvious... It is the current ruling elites of the US and their satellites who are the main beneficiaries of world instability," Putin said.

He also accused Western intelligence services and Ukraine of helping whip up trouble in Dagestan, where a mob on Sunday night attempted to intercept passengers at an airport that had just arrived from Israel.

Putin also called on Russian law enforcement to take "firm" actions, after anti-Israel rioters stormed an airport in Russia's Muslim-majority Dagestan region on Sunday evening.

"I want to draw the attention of heads of all regions, heads of law enforcement agencies and special services to the need for firm, timely and clear actions to protect Russia's constitutional order, the rights and freedoms of our citizens, inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony," Putin said.

Agencies