Little Ukraine and active criticism of the West: what Putin talked about in his speech at the Valdai Forum

“Inciting war in Ukraine , provocations around Taiwan, destabilization of the world food and energy markets due to a series of systemic errors. And a plus to this is the destruction of European gas pipelines (the Russian Federation is suspected of sabotage – ed.). This is some incredible thing,” he declared.

“Economic and trade wars, sanctions, boycotts, color revolutions are being launched. They prepare and carry out coups. One of them led to tragic consequences in Ukraine in 2014. They supported it! They even said how much money was spent on the coup. It's just crazy,” Putin complained.

According to Putin, it is not Russia, but the West that allegedly encroaches on the sovereignty of other states. Although on February 24, Russian troops invaded Ukraine, not the troops of the collective West.

“Power over the world is what the West has staked in its game. But this game is bloody, dangerous and dirty, it denies the sovereignty of countries and peoples, their identity and uniqueness. (…) Unlike the West, we don't go into someone else's backyard,” the president of the Russian Federation claims.

Read also: “I just couldn't watch calmly.” Stories of men who returned from abroad to defend Ukraine and died

“Multipolar world” and global security

Putin also talked about Russia's “proposals to strengthen collective security,” which he said were “rejected.” These are the same proposals, in particular, about the return of NATO to the borders of 1997 and the refusal of Ukraine's membership, with which Russia blackmailed the world, promising not to invade Ukraine if the demands were met.

“In today's world, it is unlikely to sit back, whoever sows the wind will reap the storm. Humanity now has two paths: to continue accumulating the burden of problems that will crush everyone, or to try together to find a solution that is not ideal, but works,” he added.

“I have always believed and still believe in common sense. . Therefore, I am convinced that sooner or later both the new centers of the multipolar world and the West will have to start an equal conversation about our common future. And the earlier, the better,” Putin said.

According to Putin, “Russia never considered itself an enemy of America,” on the contrary, the West tried to “use Russia.”

“The goal is to turn Russia into a tool for achieving its geopolitical goals. And if nothing can be done at all, destroy it. Remove from the political map. But it was not possible and will never be possible to develop and implement such a scenario for Russia,” Putin said.

In his speech, he again emphasized a special “historical moment” for Russia. According to him, “the collapse of the USSR destroyed the global balance of political forces and the Western powers proclaimed a unipolar world order.” Russia, according to Putin, does not aspire to the role of world leader, but only “fighting for existence”.

“We are not going to become some kind of hegemon. Russia does not challenge Western countries. Russia simply defends its right to exist and free development. At the same time, we ourselves are not going to become a new hegemon,” the Russian leader asserted.

Read also: Ukraine is only part of the big plan. What is Russia up to

Criticism of the “cancellation culture”

The Russian leader reproached the West for allegedly destruction of one's own creative potential, in connection with which, according to Putin, he seeks to “destroy” the culture of other nations.

“Confidence in one's infallibility is a very dangerous state. It is one step from him to the desire of the most infallible to destroy those they do not like.”

“Even at the height of the Cold War, no one thought of denying the very existence of the culture, art, and science of other nations. It was enough to understand that the humanitarian sphere must be treated delicately in order to preserve the basis for relations for the future.”

“The Nazis once reached the point of burning books, and now – the Western custodians of liberalism and progress. (…) History will put everything in its place and “cancel” not Dostoevsky, Pushkin and Tchaikovsky, but those who try to “cancel” them.

Putin is not the first time trying to draw political and cultural parallels, comparing the creative ” canceling” with the West's alleged attempts to “cancel” Russia.

Read also: Russian culture: how a “little man” gives rise to great grief

Democracy vs. Values

Putin criticized Western democracies and liberalism, declaring the alleged “degeneracy of the idea” and the need for “other forms of people's power.” According to the Russian leader, the West is promoting the “neo-colonial” idea of ​​globalization, because Western civilization “needs the resources of the entire planet to exist.”

“What next? Cicero's tongue is cut off, Copernicus' eyes are pierced, Shakespeare is stoned. This is what our Western opponents are coming to.”

“What does not work out of Russia is all the tricks of the Kremlin. Well, look at yourself! Any criticism of our opponents is perceived as tricks of the Kremlin. What did they go to! You can't blame everything on the machinations of the Kremlin.”

“As soon as the profits from globalization began to be received not by Western countries, but by the great powers of Asia, the West immediately canceled many rules.”

“The absolute majority of countries now need democracy in international affairs, without accepting any form of authoritarian dictation of individual states,” the Russian autocrat complains.

One of the tools of Western influence in the world, according to Putin, has become the financial markets . The Russian leader called for the creation of new international financial platforms, “independent of a single control center”. – “appropriated” our gold and currency reserves. Settlements in national currencies will gradually gain momentum,” he said.

The Russian leader also accused the West of “imposing foreign values” on those countries that want to preserve and develop national values.

“Losing its advantage, the West is turning into a minority on the world stage. If Western elites think they can introduce trends like gay parades and dozens of genders into their societies, let them do what they want, but they have no right to demand that others follow in the same direction.”

“There are two Wests – the West of the richest culture, traditional, first of all, Christian values, with which we have ancient roots in common, and the cosmopolitan West, which acts as a tool of the liberal elites. Russia will never accept the dictates of this West,” Putin said.

More about Ukraine

Putin spoke more actively about Ukraine already after the speech, talking to journalists. In particular, the Russian leader once again called our country an “artificial state” and repeated the propaganda narrative about “the brotherhood of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples”. He also called the Russian Federation “the only guarantor of Ukraine's sovereignty”.