We have to ‘build a new world’ – Putin

Opening the 20th session of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said its participants had to build a new world, as the present Western-dominated order crumbles.

Valdai discussions are “always a reflection of the most important processes in world politics of the 21st century,” Putin explained, “and this will continue to be the case, because we are faced, in essence, with the task of building a new world.”

“Colossal changes” have taken place in both Russia and the world since the Valdai Club was established, the Russian president noted. “By historical standards, twenty years is not that long. But time seems to compress when this happens during the era of the breakdown of the entire world order.”

A lot has happened in the past 20 years, Putin said, describing the changes as “qualitative, requiring fundamental changes in the very principles of international relations.”

When the Valdai Club first met, Russia was emerging from the ruins of the USSR and putting “all our energy and goodwill” into building “a new, as it seemed to us, more equitable world order,” the president noted.

While Russia had much to offer to friends, partners, and the entire world, “some misunderstood our readiness for constructive interaction as submission, as an agreement that a new order will be built by those who declared themselves victors in the Cold War,” as well as an admission that Moscow is willing to follow the leadership and interests of others, Putin said.

“All these years, we have warned more than once: This approach not only leads to a dead end, it is fraught with the increasing threat of military conflict. But no one would listen to us, no one wanted to hear us. The arrogance of our so-called partners in the West, you know, was simply off the charts,” the Russian president concluded.

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