Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev described Russian President Vladimir Putin as the leader of the free world in a comment to Sputnik on Saturday.
"It does need [a leader] and there is one. His name is Vladimir Putin," Medvedev told Sputnik.
Medvedev suggested that the European Union would continue relying on the United States for survival despite breaking with the US to support Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, who is at odds with US President Donald Trump.
"They will cry a little, write similar posts on social media, and go back to the stalls. Europe is a frail, grumpy hag that relies on US guardianship for survival," the Russian official said.