Putin Lays Out a Pathway from Conflict and War to a Polyphonic World

Oct. 6—“We have noted repeatedly that we are living in an era when everything is changing, and very rapidly at that,” President Putin said in an October 2 speech at the annual Valdai Discussion Club. “As time and recent events have shown, we must be ready for anything.”

With that, the Russian President began a masterful description of the failures of the system that has dominated the 20th and 21st centuries, noting that the system is approaching its demise, but its last chapter is still characterized by great uncertainties: “We have noted repeatedly that we are living in an era when everything is changing, and very rapidly at that; I would even say radically. Of course, none of us can fully foresee the future. However, that does not absolve us of the responsibility to be prepared for it. As time and recent events have shown, we must be ready for anything. In such periods of history, everyone bears a special responsibility for their own destiny, for the fate of their country, and for the world at large. The stakes today are extremely high.”

Putin declared that the world arena now involves more countries that are concerned about global affairs and with more freedom to act. It means that decisions taken must also be acceptable to the Global Majority. A world controlled by a small group of nations making the rules is no longer acceptable. “Paradoxically, multipolarity has become a direct consequence of attempts to establish and preserve global hegemony, a response by the international system and history itself to the obsessive desire to arrange everyone into a single hierarchy, with Western countries at the top,” he said. He pointed to the emergence of the BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and similar organizations, and also underlined the importance of the UN as a central institution, even with its obvious problems.

Putin described how the Soviet Union and then Russia had attempted to become a part of a united Europe by offering to join NATO, first in 1954, and then in 2000 when U.S. President Bill Clinton went to Moscow. Clinton had at first thought well of the proposal, but after consulting with his aides, he informed Putin that it would not be possible. “In short, we had a genuine chance to move international relations in a different, more positive direction. Yet, alas, a different approach prevailed. Western countries succumbed to the temptation of absolute power.”

Putin said that the U.S. had reached the peak of its power around the same time. People had generally learned to succumb to the will of the West, even when it was not in their own interest to do so, and those who tried to resist were labeled “eccentric.” He said: “But this did not bring anything good. Not a single global problem was resolved. On the contrary, new ones are constantly multiplying. Institutions of global governance created in an earlier era either ceased to function or lost much of their effectiveness. And no matter how much strength or resources one state, or even a group of states, may accumulate, power always has its limits.”

Putin pointed out that that was not just the case for the developing countries, but also for the populations of the Western nations themselves, whose people are now revolting against this type of “world order,” with the democratic process being turned into a farce, as had happened in Romania. with NATO nullifying elections.

The world is different now, and the interests of all must be taken into consideration. “Nevertheless, the fundamentally new global atmosphere in which the tone is increasingly being set by the countries of the Global Majority, holds out a promise that all actors will somehow have to take into account each other’s interests when looking for solutions to regional and global issues,” Putin said. “After all, no one can achieve their goals all by themselves, in isolation from others. Despite escalating conflicts, the crisis of the previous model of globalization and the fragmentation of the global economy, the world remains integral, interconnected, and interdependent.”

The Russian President also went through a description of how the situation in Ukraine had been set up by those who were determined to bring down Russia, based on old shibboleths and prejudices. The Ukrainian people, for whom they did not much care, were to be used as expendable bait for their hegemonic desires. He also indicated that this attempt would never succeed, given the geography and the importance of Russia in the world and the spirit of the Russian people to defend against aggression. He noted the fracturing of European society in the foolish attempts by Western elites to continue their relentless crusade and their hysterical attempts to convince people that Russia was prepared to attack NATO, which simply not true.

Putin pointed to the many global problems facing mankind, which call for united efforts in dealing with them, be they challenges posed by natural disasters, man-made catastrophes, technological development, or new and rapid social, demographic, and information processes. “There are no ready-made answers here, but I believe that to solve global problems, we must, firstly, approach them without ideological preconceptions, without the didactic pathos of ‘I’ll explain everything to you now.’ Secondly, it’s important to recognize that this is a truly common, indivisible undertaking, requiring the joint efforts of all countries and peoples.”

He underlined that every culture and every civilization must play its part in this endeavor and return to the practice of classical diplomacy, taking into consideration the interests of all, particularly in the area of indivisible security. He placed hope in the efforts by Trump to achieve a just solution to the Palestinian issue. He also supported the claim by President Trump that if he had been President, the Ukraine war would never have begun.

Without commenting, however, on President Donald Trump’s recent comments about Russia, or the reports of U.S. decisions to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles which are not true, Putin said that the U.S. always acts in the benefit of its own interests, which he said is proper. “But then, excuse me, Russia also reserves the right to be guided by our national interests, one of which, incidentally, is the restoration of full-fledged relations with the United States. And no matter what the differences, if we treat each other with respect, then bargaining—even the most tough and persistent—will ultimately lead to a consensus, which means that ultimately, mutually acceptable solutions are possible.”

“We stand for diversity, polyphony, and a symphony of values,” Putin said. “The world, you’ll certainly agree, looks dull when it’s monotonous. Russia has had a turbulent and difficult fate. The very formation of Russian statehood has been a constant struggle to overcome enormous historical challenges….” he said. "We have experienced numerous upheavals, giving the world food for very different reflections—both negative and positive. But thanks to our historical background, we are better prepared for the complex, nonlinear, and ambiguous global situation in which we all face the prospect of living….

“But in today’s multipolar world, this harmony, this balance I spoke of, can only be achieved, of course, through joint, common work. And I assure you, Russia is ready for such work,” the Russian President concluded.