From Republic.ru, Nov. 7, 2024, p. 1. Complete text:
Editors’ Note. – [Russian President] Vladimir Putin participated in a plenary session of the Valdai [International] Discussion Club titled “Lasting peace on what basis? Common security and equal opportunities for development in the 21st century.” . . . Republic.ru is publishing the main highlights of [Putin’s address].
About global challenges.
The Russian president began his address with reflections on the formation of a “totally new world order” that is not like anything we know from the past, such as the Westphalian or Yalta systems. Putin said that “new powers are rising; nations are becoming more clearly and keenly aware of their interests, their intrinsic worth, uniqueness and identities [and] are becoming more firmly committed to achieving development and equity goals.” At the same time, society is facing a great number of challenges and extremely complex processes.
The Russian president believes that the next 20 years will be no less difficult, if not more so. According to him, a struggle is unfolding for a new world, and it is not just a “struggle for power” but a clash of principles in relations between countries and peoples. Putin is convinced that the world has approached a “dangerous line,” a “moment of truth is coming, [and] the old world order is irretrievably gone.”
He sees the threat of humankind falling into the abyss of aggressive anarchy, losing traditional values and abandoning the fundamental principles of democracy. The Russian president said that modern neoliberalism has degenerated into a totalitarian ideology [and] extreme intolerance: Principles such as “If [we] can’t have it, no one will” and “Those who are not with us are against us” are increasingly showing through in the policies of the US and its allies, and this is a very dangerous formula: “What goes around comes around.” Putin called the West’s unprecedented geopolitical greed the real source of the most recent conflicts – from the tragedies of Yugoslavia, Iraq [and] Libya to today’s Ukraine and the Middle East.
For its part, Russia does not perceive Western civilization as an enemy and does not think in terms of “us” and “them,” Putin avowed. On the other hand, the West’s desire to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia – a nuclear power – points to the over-the-top, reckless adventurism of certain politicians; such blind faith in one’s own exceptionalism and impunity may lead to a global tragedy, he warned. No one can guarantee that the West will not use nuclear weapons, Putin said.
He is convinced that the US still needs conflicts for its own development. Furthermore, NATO has not stopped its eastward expansion. The North Atlantic alliance is an anachronism, but its latest actions – “creeping intervention” – “have forced Russia to retaliate,” Putin explained, adding that military-political blocs are yet another impediment to peace.
The president also expressed confidence that there can be no hegemony in a new international environment. Claims to political monopoly are increasingly overstraining countries that are trying to pursue such policies. At the same time, former “global hegemons” are becoming ever more frequently aware that they are “not being obeyed,” with chaos and systemic crises deepening in such countries, Putin stated.
Western monopoly – any monopoly – comes to an end sooner or later [and] there should be illusions here, Putin stressed. In the emerging multipolar world, there must be no losing countries or peoples, and no one should feel maltreated. According to him, Russia needs peace. The Kremlin does not want to lecture anyone and impose its worldview [Putin said]. Furthermore, the president believes that the world needs Russia and that decisions by “Washington or Brussels apparatchiks cannot change that.”
Putin also said that the global majority stands for world diversity without politicization (“there must not be a situation where one country imposes its model, even if a successful one, on all others”). As for those who are accustomed to playing solo, they “will have to get used to a new tune.” He stated that inequality is the scourge of the modern world, and BRICS is the prototype of a new, “free and nonbloc nature” of relations between countries. Putin added that the stability of the international order can only be based on universal equality.
“Global political trends are moving in the direction opposite to the West.*** The world is changing; new centers of power are emerging, [and] of course it is essential that legal regulation change [as well]; law reflects life, not vice versa.*** No conventional code – not even a democratically developed one – can be prescribed as a directive, as the absolute truth for others once and for all. The international community is a living organism, whose value and uniqueness lie in its civilizational diversity.*** There must be no losing countries or nations in the emerging multipolar world; no one should feel denigrated or insulted.
“Russia and the overwhelming majority of countries are working to strengthen the spirit of global progress.*** Neighboring regions will play an important role in the future. Compromises are vital for further development.*** We are not imposing anything on anyone, and never will; we are always ready for a constructive dialogue.*** It is useless to exert pressure on us, but we are always open to negotiations.*** Russia has never initiated the use of force, but we will take all measures to defend the country when necessary.*** Russia’s mere existence is a guarantee that the world will preserve its diversity,” Putin said.
About Donald Trump.
“Each of them (US presidents – Ed.) is a personality and a person who did not get to the top of Mount Olympus by accident. Whatever one may think (of Trump – Ed.), I personally was impressed by his behavior during the assassination attempt. He is a courageous man. And it is not only about [his] raised hand or [his] calls to fight for common ideals. . . . A person shows himself under extraordinary circumstances. And in my opinion, he showed himself in the right way, as a man.
“The impression is that during his first presidential term, he was pilloried from all sides. He was afraid to take a step to the side, [or even] to say a word. I don’t know what will happen now (after the US presidential election – Ed.) – this is his (Trump’s – Ed.) last term. However, in my opinion, what he has said publicly – about his desire to restore relations with Russia and help end the Ukraine crisis – merits attention. I would like to congratulate him on his election as president. Earlier, I said that we will work with any (US president – Ed.) elected by the people.
“I don’t think it’s embarrassing to call Trump. I’m not doing this because at some point leaders of Western states were calling me almost every week but then suddenly stopped. If they don’t want to, there’s no need. It’s all right, we are alive and well, developing [and] moving forward. Should one of them want to resume contacts, we have nothing against [that],” Putin said.
About Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin recalled that Russia recognized Ukraine’s state borders as part of joint agreements following the breakup of the USSR, on the grounds that Ukraine was a neutral state. However, everything changed after the Ukrainian authorities amended the Constitution and announced their intention to join NATO.
The Russian president once again justified the logic behind the Russian invasion of Ukraine [see Vol. 74, No. 8, pp. 9-13], claiming that Russia did not violate international law, since the self-proclaimed Donetsk Basin republics had asked Moscow for help. If, in accordance with the UN Charter, each nation has the right to self-determination, then the people in the Crimea and the Donetsk Basin also have that right, he said.
Speaking about the situation on the front, Putin said that a total of 15,000 Ukrainian troops were pinned down in two sectors in the operational area around the town of Kupyansk. He also asserted that Ukrainian forces have lost 30,000 personnel since the invasion of Kursk Province [see Vol. 76, No. 32, pp. 3-8]. According to Putin, Ukrainian troops have entrenched themselves in this region despite heavy losses because the West ordered [them] to hold their ground at any cost until the US presidential election.
The Russian president avowed that he is ready for peace talks with Ukraine, but only based on the “present-day realities” and the Istanbul agreements [reached after talks in March 2022; see Vol. 74, No. 13, pp. 3‑9 – Trans.]. This should not be about freezing the conflict, but about creating favorable conditions for the restoration of relations – “conditions for a long-term settlement.” Ukraine’s new borders will depend on the “current course of events and the opinion of residents in historical Russian territories,” Putin explained. “If there is no neutrality (for Ukraine – Ed.), it is difficult to imagine any good-neighborly relations. This means that Ukraine will be constantly used as a tool in somebody else’s hands to Russia’s detriment,” he added.
About Russian-Chinese relations.
The level of trust between Russia and China is at an all-time high in modern history; [their] relations are at an unprecedentedly high level and are based on trust, Putin said. Moscow and Beijing are expanding the range of cooperation, paying more attention to new technology, and these relations are not directed against other countries. According to the Russian president, the Chinese economy is more effective than others, despite a slowdown in growth rates.
For its part, the US is pursuing a policy of dual containment, trying to contain both China and Russia. However, by banning Chinese goods and technologies, the US is shooting itself in the foot, pushing up inflation, the president said, adding that the US and its satellites are setting the goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia – if not destroying it, then making it irrelevant. China is not to blame for rising tensions in East Asia, where NATO is intruding, Putin stated. The president believes that some countries could provoke a crisis around Taiwan analogously to Ukraine.
About Europe.
At the end of the cold war, there was a chance to overcome bloc thinking and bloc politics, but Putin believes that the US did not want that: It was afraid that [its] control over Europe would weaken, so [the US] is only tightening it. The conflict in Ukraine has enabled the US to strengthen its leading role in Europe, Putin pointed out. According to him, European countries have ended up in semicolonial dependence. . . .
For example, the US is laying the groundwork for shifting production – entire sectors – from Europe to the US, where energy costs are several times lower than in Europe. “What is Europe lacking? Brains,” Putin commented.
The US retains control over Europe, but this will ultimately weaken the subordination system, he predicted. As far as Russia is concerned, European capitals should return to the system of mutual trust with Moscow: This is a first step toward a new security system.
About currencies.
Putin said that national currencies account for 88% of trade turnover in BRICS countries. However, it is too early to talk about transitioning to a common BRICS currency. First, it is necessary to achieve greater integration of the [BRICS] economies and improve their quality so that they are similar and compatible.
The president pointed out that Russia has never sought to abandon the dollar, but the US is imposing restrictions. He also compared the dollar to a sacred cow.
“The US’s entire might hinges on the dollar. They went and started cutting everything with their own hands. I thought that no matter what happened, the dollar, like a sacred cow, could not be touched. But no, they dehorned [it] with their own hands, stopped washing the udders and are exploiting [it] for all it is worth,” Putin said.
About sports.
Under external pressure, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) “has turned into a three-ring circus” and is currently “destroying the Olympic movement” with its own hands, the Russian president said and criticized the Paris Olympics opening ceremony [which included a tableau that some viewers saw as a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” – Trans.], pointing out that it was “insulting to millions of believers, [to] Christians.”
“I do not know what the organizers intended to achieve and why they did that. Why did the IOC let it pass, let it happen?” Putin asked. “Why was it necessary to insult anyone, insult their religious feelings? Those who did so said that they ‘did not intend to insult [anyone] and saw nothing insulting about it.’ However, the same also happens with representatives of Islam, when [copies of] the Koran are burned [in public] or [when] illustrations, all sorts of cartoons of the prophet are published under the aegis of freedom of expression. I will repeat what I have already said many times. The freedom of one person or community ends where that of the next begins. After all, if you can insult somebody and say, ‘This is my freedom, I do what I want,’ that way [of thinking] can go all the way to murder. ‘I want to kill!’ You go and kill. That’s an expression of my freedom. Isn’t it? Nonsense, of course! People know no bounds, they see no limits, as the saying goes.”
Putin also commented on transgender athletes. In his opinion, those who have declared themselves to be women are killing sports: They should compete among themselves. . . .
About artificial intelligence and the Internet.
Putin described artificial intelligence as one of the most important development tools. New technologies are already playing a great role in the economy, the nuclear energy sector, medicine, agriculture [and] the transport sector, and their “role will only grow.” According to the president, it is impossible to ban the development of AI: In a competitive environment, this sector “will always find its way.”
At the plenary meeting, Putin heard complaints about the domination of left liberal ideas in AI models, due to the views of the creators of these models. Putin replied that Russia should develop its own, sovereign AI. “Sber[bank (Savings Bank)] and Yandex are successfully working on this here,” he said.
The president also said that the use of the Internet should be based on sovereign algorithms. That is the goal. The Internet should be subject to national laws, but banning everything would be counterproductive. Putin also acknowledged that he uses the Internet, but “in the most primitive way”: “Sometimes I press a few buttons to look at something.”
On sanctions, the US, migration, nuclear weapons [and] the climate.
– The range of sanctions against Russia has no analogues in history. The West has tried to deliver a crippling blow to Russia, but failed, Putin is convinced.
– Global warming in Russia is moving faster than in other parts of the world, and it may have serious consequences for the country.
– Unemployment in Russia is at an all-time low (2.4%); at the same time, there is a considerable labor shortage: There are 250,000 job openings in industry alone; this is one of the main impediments to Russia’s economic growth.
– There will be no hostility toward migrants if they are proficient in Russian and know Russian laws.
– The nuclear arms control issue has become more complicated than 20 or 30 years ago; the West has tried to influence China’s nuclear arsenal through Russia.
– Putin urged that the suffering of the Palestinian people be minimized and that combat operations be brought to an end; he said that Russia has its own ideas on settling the Middle East conflict, [and that] there could be light at the end of the tunnel.
– Putin did not rule out the possibility of Russia holding joint military exercises with North Korea.
– Russia has never allowed itself to create conflicts in close proximity to the US, and Washington had better not provoke Moscow, either, in order to avoid global conflicts.
– “As for resuming relations with the US, we are open to that, but the ball is in its court, since we did not spoil our relations with [the US].”
In conclusion, Putin said that he does not want Russia to return to the “pre-2022” path, which was “covert intervention aimed at subordinating it to the interests of other countries”: “Russia is following its own path and will not deviate from it,” but [Russia] is not opposed to integration [he said].