Washington should focus on actually fixing its domestic problems instead of searching for external enemies to blame them on, Russia's Minister for Economic Development Maksim Oreshkin said.

The remarks were in response to the words of liberal billionaire George Soros, who lashed out at China speaking at the Davos economic forum in Switzerland.

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“China is not the only authoritarian regime in the world but it is the wealthiest, strongest and technologically most advanced,” Soros said. “This makes Xi Jinping the most dangerous opponent of open societies.”

China brushed off the comments, saying that “statements by certain people, which portray black as white and distort facts, are completely pointless and not worthy of even a rebuttal.” Aside from Beijing, Soros has also expressed similar concerns about Russia.

According to Oreshkin, the US should stop trying to blame the troubles of “open societies” on someone else, but look for the root of its problems at home.

“Look at what is happening in America. Over the past 30 years real income of the middle class and below haven't grown almost at all. The expenses for healthcare and education have risen trifold, even taking inflation in account,” Oreshkin told RT during a press conference in Davos. “Naturally, it has led to the growth of dissent in America, becoming one of the factors in Donald Trump, with all his peculiar rhetoric, becoming the president.”

The problems are within the US. An external enemy, which impedes them and causes all the trouble in the US – whether Russia or China – is just substitution of concepts.

The official warned that such an approach – expressed by Soros and other figures of the US elite – sows nothing but confrontation, which ultimately harms the US itself end impedes economic growth worldwide.

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“Until every country realizes that the problems exist, above all, in themselves and not in some external forces, such mindset will persist and we'll continue to hear such statements,” Oreshkin added.

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