Whataboutism
Etymology
The word is built from the reflexive dodge "what about…?" An earlier form, "whataboutery," circulated during the Northern Ireland Troubles in the 1970s. The "-ism" version became common during and after the Cold War, describing a Soviet and later Russian habit of answering criticism with a countercharge.
noun · /WHUT-uh-bowt-iz-uhm/
Deflecting a charge by pointing to someone else’s alleged wrongdoing instead of answering it.
What it names
Exposes the trick of turning every accusation into a counter-accusation so nothing is ever addressed.
Example
Confronted about the crackdown, the spokesman asked what about the other country’s prisons — classic whataboutism.
Related idea
It is a broadened tu quoque: instead of "you do it too," it points to any third party’s faults.