On October 27, 2022, the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, gave a discourse at the Valdai Discussion Club Foundation which I find to be of much interest. Permit me, our dear readers of this column, to present to you Part 2 of that speech:

So today, an overwhelming majority of the international community demands democracy in international affairs and rejects all forms of authoritarian rule by individual countries or groups of countries. What is this but the direct application of democratic principles to international relations? What position has the “civilized” West taken? If they are Democrats, they are supposed to embrace the natural desire for freedom expressed by billions of people, but they don’t. The West calls it undermining the rule-based liberal order. It is resorting to economic and trade wars, sanctions, boycotts and color revolutions, and preparing and carrying out all kinds of coups. One of them had tragic consequences in Ukraine in 2014. They supported it and even specified how much money they had spent on this coup. They have the audacity to act as they please and have no scruples in everything they do. They killed Soleimani, an Iranian general. You can think what you want about Soleimani, but he was an official of a foreign state. They killed him in a third country and took responsibility. What’s that supposed to mean, for God’s sake? What kind of world do we live in? They nip everything in the bud, and even do not hesitate to impose sanctions on their allies, who bow their heads in acquiescence.

As usual, Washington continues to refer to the current international order as American-style liberal, but in reality, this notorious “order” is multiplying chaos every day and, I might add, becoming increasingly intolerant even of Western countries and their attempts to act independently. For example, the Hungarian MEPs’ proposals in July to codify the commitment to European Christian values and culture in the Treaty on European Union were taken not even as an affront, but as an act of blatant and hostile sabotage. What’s that? What does it mean? Indeed, some may like it, others may not… It is incredible. Without exaggeration, this is not even a systemic crisis, but rather a doctrinal crisis of the US-style neoliberal model of international order. They have no ideas for progress and positive development. They simply have nothing to offer the world except to perpetuate their rule. I am convinced that true democracy in a multipolar world consists mainly in the ability of any nation—I insist—any society or any civilization, to follow its own path and organize its own socio-political system. If the United States or the EU countries enjoy this right, the countries of Asia, the Islamic States, the monarchies of the Persian Gulf and the countries of other continents also have it, without a doubt. Of course, our country, Russia, also has this right, and no one will be able to tell our people what kind of society we should build and what principles should underlie it.

A direct threat to the Western political, economic, and ideological monopoly lies in the fact that the world can devise more effective alternative social models; I want to underline this, more effective today, brighter and more attractive than those that currently exist. These models will undoubtedly emerge. This is unavoidable. By the way, American political scientists and analysts also write about this. The truth is that their government doesn’t listen to what they say, though they can’t help but see these concepts in political science journals and mentioned in debates. Development must be based on a dialogue between civilizations and spiritual and moral values. Indeed, the understanding of what the human being is and the nature of it varies according to civilizations, but this difference is usually superficial, and everyone recognizes the ultimate dignity and spiritual essence of people. It is vitally important to have a common base on which we can and must build our future. Here is something I would like to underline. Traditional values are not a rigid set of tenets that everyone must adhere to, of course not.

The difference with the so-called neoliberal values is that they are unique in each particular case, because they come from the traditions of a specific society, its culture and its historical baggage. That is why traditional values cannot be imposed on anyone. You simply have to respect them and carefully handle everything that each nation has been choosing for itself over the centuries. This is how we understand traditional values, and the majority of humanity shares and accepts our approach. It is understandable, because the traditional societies of the East, Latin America, Africa and Eurasia form the basis of world civilization. Respect for the uses and customs of peoples and civilizations is in everyone’s interest. Indeed, it is also in the interest of the ‘West’, which is fast becoming a minority on the international scene as it loses its dominance. Of course, the right of the Western minority to its own cultural identity—I want to underline this—must be guaranteed and respected, but, above all, on an equal footing with the rights of any other nation. If Western elites think they can get their people and their societies to adopt what I consider to be weird and trendy ideas like dozens of genders or gay pride parades, so be it. Let them do whatever they want. But they certainly have no right to tell others to follow in their footsteps. We see the complicated demographic, political and social processes taking place in Western countries. This is, of course, your business. Russia does not interfere in these matters and does not intend to do so. Unlike the West, we mind our own business.

But we hope that pragmatism will triumph and that Russia’s dialogue with the genuine and traditional West, as well as with other contemporary development centers, will become an important contribution to the construction of a multipolar world order. I will add that multipolarity is a real opportunity and, in fact, the only one for Europe to recover its political and economic identity. To tell the truth—and this idea is expressed explicitly in Europe today—Europe’s legal capacity is very limited. I’ve tried to put it mildly so as not to offend anyone. I will add that multipolarity is a real opportunity and, in fact, the only one for Europe to recover its political and economic identity. The world is naturally diverse, and Western attempts to lump everyone into the same pattern are clearly doomed. Nothing will come of them. The conceited aspiration to achieve world supremacy and, essentially, to dictate or preserve leadership by dictation, is actually lowering the international prestige of the leaders of the Western world, including the United States, and increasing mistrust in their negotiating capacity in general.

Today they say one thing and tomorrow another; they sign documents and renounce them, they do what they want. There is no stability in anything. How the documents are signed, what has been discussed, what can we expect, all this is not at all clear. Before, only a few countries dared to argue with the United States, and it was almost sensational, while now it has become routine for all kinds of states to reject Washington’s baseless demands, despite its continuous attempts to put pressure on everyone. This is a wrong policy that leads nowhere. But whether they do, is also their choice. I am convinced that the nations of the world will not turn a blind eye to a policy of coercion that has discredited itself. Each time the West will have to pay a higher price for its attempts to preserve its hegemony. If I were a Western elite, I would seriously consider this perspective. As I said, some political scientists and politicians in the United States are already thinking about it. Americophobia, Anglophobia, Francophobia and Germanophobia are the same forms of racism as Russophobia or anti-Semitism, and, by the way, xenophobia in all its forms.

In the current conditions of intense conflict, I will be direct about certain things. As an independent and differentiated civilization, Russia has never considered itself and does not consider itself an enemy of the West. You just have to clearly understand that, as I said before, there are two Wests—at least two and perhaps more, but at least two—the West of traditional values, mainly Christian, of freedom, of patriotism, of great culture and now also of Islamic values—a substantial part of the population of many Western countries follows Islam. This West is close to us in something. We share common, even ancient, roots with him. But there is also a different West: aggressive, cosmopolitan and neocolonial. It acts as a tool of the neoliberal elites. Naturally, Russia will never reconcile itself to the dictates of this West. In the year 2000, after I was elected president, I will always remember what I faced: I will remember the price we paid for destroying the lair of terrorism in the North Caucasus, which the West almost openly supported at the time. We are all adults here; most of those in this room understand what I’m talking about. We know that this is exactly what happened in practice: financial, political and informational support. We have all experienced it. Moreover, the West not only actively supported terrorists on Russian soil, but in many ways fueled this threat. This we know. However, when the situation stabilized, when the main terrorist gangs were defeated, including thanks to the courage of the Chechen people, we decided not to back down, not to act offended, but to move forward, to establish relations even with those who actually acted against us, establish and develop relationships with everyone who wishes, based on mutual benefit and respect for each other. We thought it was in everyone’s interest. Russia, thank God, had survived all the difficulties of the time, stood firm, became stronger, was able to cope with internal and external terrorism, its economy was preserved, it began to develop, and its defense capabilities began to improve.”

(To Be Continued)
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December 4, 2022
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