The world is entering its “most dangerous” decade since World War II, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday, saying the conflict in Ukraine was an example of a struggle against Western dominance.
• Read more: Russia Tightens ‘LGBT Propaganda’ Law
• Read more: Crimean power station targeted by drone strike
• Read more: “Dirty bomb”: Moscow accuses Kiev of using photo of Slovenian origin
“We are at a historic moment. “We are undoubtedly facing the most dangerous, the most critical, the most unpredictable decade since 1945,” the Russian leader declared before the Valdai Forum in Moscow.
“The West, without clear unity, cannot lead the world, but it is desperately trying, and most of the world’s people cannot accept it,” he said, adding that the planet is in a “revolutionary situation.”
According to him, the attack on Ukraine is part of this “tectonic shift of the world order”.
Referring to “inevitable” changes in the “world order,” he added, “Russia will never accept dictates from an aggressive, neo-colonial West.”
Not long ago, he described his conflict with the West, particularly in the context of the offensive against Ukraine, as Russia’s struggle for survival.
“Russia is not challenging the West, Russia is defending its right to exist,” he reiterated, adding that Americans and other Westerners want to “wipe (Russia) off the map, wipe it off” in a new charge against its geopolitical rivals. Support and arm Ukraine against Russian soldiers.
Appeal to the IAEA
The Kremlin mastermind has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to go “as far as possible” into Ukraine over Russian accusations that Kiev is building a “dirty bomb”.
“The IAEA wants to come (…). We are for it as quickly and widely as possible because we know that the authorities in Q are doing everything to hide the traces of these products,” he said.
“We know approximately where this is being done (in Ukraine),” the Russian leader said.
According to him, Kiev wants to use such a radiological weapon, “then it can be said that it was Russia that carried out the nuclear attack”, Mr. Putin repeated, insisting he had asked his Defense Minister Sergei. Choigou, to “inform” his Western counterparts.
The latter actually met with the US, Chinese, French, Turkish and British defense ministers in recent days, with exchanges of unprecedented intensity since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine on February 24 – just over a few hours.
Ukraine and its Western allies have all widely condemned Russia’s “flagrantly false” accusations.
Vladimir Putin compared his past comments on the possibility of using nuclear weapons, believing he was only responding to threats from his adversaries.
“We never talked about the possibility of using nuclear weapons. We only made notes in response to the statements of other countries,” the Russian president assured.
According to him, Ukraine and the West are saying, “Look at Russia! Don’t cooperate with her!’ To say that Moscow is playing nuclear expansion to influence neutral countries.
“The United States is the only country in the world that has used nuclear weapons against non-nuclear countries,” Putin accused.
Speaking about his country’s economic situation, he judged that the “peak of economic difficulties” had “passed”. According to him, “the Russian economy has been transformed (…) what is happening will ultimately benefit Russia and its future (…) including the economic sector”
