Echoing similar statements, Trump and Putin claim French riots were caused by mass immigration

Trump and Moscow blame immigration

Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev described the unrest as “Western civilisation’s suicide through migrant chaos,” according to the article. He also criticised the West’s handling of migration, energy and what he called warmongering.

Shared political positions

The comments point to common ground between Trump’s Make America Great Again movement and the Kremlin on immigration, religion and anti-liberal ideas. Trump has appeared increasingly open to working with Russia, despite its isolation over the invasion of Ukraine.

On 9 October, Trump and Putin agreed to allow Russian diesel imports into the US to curb petrol prices, which had risen following the war in Iran. Days later, Trump froze new sanctions aimed at Russian oil and gas, drawing sharp criticism from European allies.

European leaders respond

French president Emmanuel Macron criticised the US-Russia energy agreement at an EU summit in Brussels. He warned that waiving sanctions on Moscow creates “doubts and defiance” among Western allies and does not stabilise global energy markets.

Europe’s far-right has used the French riots to attack immigration, often in openly Islamophobic terms. In Germany, AfD leader Alice Weidel blamed “open borders and mass immigration” for the destruction and called the clashes an attack on Western civilisation.