Moscow (AFP) – Russia is on a mission to “build a new world,” said President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, for whom the Russian offensive in Ukraine was primarily a reaction to the “hegemony” of Western powers.
First change: October 6, 2023 – 11:38 a.m. Last change: October 6, 2023 – 11:33 a.m
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“We essentially face the task of building a new world,” Putin told a political debate forum, where he denounced the “arrogance” of Western powers since the fall of the Soviet Union.
The Russian leader accused Western powers of seeking global “hegemony.” “The West always needs an enemy,” he emphasized.
The Russian offensive in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, is not a “territorial conflict” but an event that will determine the “principles on which the new world order will be based,” he added.
“We have no interest in regaining territory,” stressed Putin, who, however, called for the annexation of four Ukrainian regions in September 2022, following the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014.
During the forum, the president also accused Westerners of demonizing China and “creating a hostile environment toward Muslims.”
On the other hand, Putin stressed that the era in which Western powers imposed their will on the world “a long time ago” was over.
Moscow justified the offensive in Ukraine with Kiev’s willingness to join NATO, which Russia sees as a threat.
However, the former Soviet republic believes that the Russian offensive is aimed at conquering its territory and demonstrates Moscow’s imperialist ambitions.
© 2023 AFP