Moscow will oppose the neocolonialist hegemony of its opponents, the Russian president said
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a historic speech on Friday at a ceremony in Moscow at which he signed treaties paving the way for the inclusion of four former Ukrainian regions into the Russian Federation.
Among other things, the president commented on the future of the four regions within Russia, potential talks with Kiev, and the continued neocolonialist policy of the US and its allies, which he says is at the root of many modern crises.
Below are some of the key points Putin made in his address.
Russia is open to talks with Kiev
Putin has called on the Ukrainian government to “immediately” cease all hostilities and return to the negotiating table. “We are ready for this,” he said.
Moreover, Moscow will not discuss “the choice of the people in Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson,” Putin maintained, adding that this decision has already been made clear. He also urged Kiev to treat this choice with respect, calling it “the only way to peace.”
West seeks to impose tax on humanity
The Russian leader accused the West of attempts to "plunder the world” through the “the domination of the dollar and technology.” The West will do anything to keep its “neo-colonial system,” he added, denouncing it as an attempt to collect “an actual tribute from humanity.”
Western aspirations for continued hegemony are the reason for a global “de-sovereignization” campaign, Putin stated, adding that this involves Western nations turning all other countries around the world into their “vassals” through either coercion or bribery.
Western ‘rules-based’ order is a lie
The “rules-based order” supposedly defended by Western nations is “utter deceit,” Putin said. Western leaders act on the basis of “double standards, or even triple standards” and change these rules when it suits their interests, he added.
It was the West that first violated the principle of border inviolability and then usurped the right to decide which peoples deserve the right to self-determination and which do not, the Russian leader maintained.
“dirty deception” as well, he added.
Neo-liberalism is the new totalitarianism
The Western nations divide the world into their “vassals” and those they call a “rogue country” or “authoritarian regime,” Putin said, adding that their denial of other nations’ sovereignty has turned into a new form of “despotism and apartheid.”
“neoliberal culture is an indisputable model for the entire world to follow," Putin said, calling such views nothing but “racism.” The Russian leader also denounced ‘Russophobia’ as an example of such a racist attitude.
Global transformations are coming
The world has entered a new era of a “revolutionary transformation,” Putin believes. New centers of power and development that represent the majority of the international community are forming. They are not only ready to openly speak about their interests but to defend them as well, he said.
“The collapse of Western hegemony is irreversible,” the Russian president said. Russia is now fighting for a “just and free” way forward that will leave “dictate and despotism in the past,” he added.