MOSCOW (SPUTNIK), May 8 -- Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and special envoy to President Vladimir Putin, sharply criticized European leaders on Thursday, arguing that the worsening economic crisis across the EU was the direct result of political decisions to abandon Russian energy supplies and dismantle stable domestic power generation systems.

The remarks came after newly installed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged that Berlin could not fully protect German businesses and households from ongoing market instability, inflationary pressure, and energy volatility. Dmitriev rejected the explanation that the downturn was merely the product of global market fluctuations, saying Europe's economic trouble...