'World has entered a period of revolutionary transformation': Highlights of Putin's signing ceremony speech

RT
Fri, 30 Sep 2022 21:17 UTC

© Sputnik/Dmitry Astakov

Russian President Vladimir Putin

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:

1 Russia will never betray those who trust it

The people of Donbass and those living in the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye "undoubtly" had a right to self-determination guaranteed by the UN Charter, Putin said, adding that they "had their say." Russia will never betray their choice, the president stated, adding that "we will defend our land with all the forces and resources we have."

Putin also vowed to restore all of the infrastructure in the four regions that has been damaged in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev. "Together we will make sure that citizens in the new regions can feel the support of all the people of Russia, of the entire nation, all ... regions of our vast Motherland.," he said.

2 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."

3 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.

"This explains their aggression towards independent states, traditional values and authentic cultures," the Russian president said, adding that the West seeks to disrupt international and integrational processes it is unable to control.

4 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.

He also accused the US of eroding global security by unilaterally withdrawing from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) back in 2002 and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019. Western promises not to expand NATO further to the east turned out to be "dirty deception" as well, he added.

5 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."

The West is still convinced that its "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.

"Western countries have been saying for centuries that they bring freedom and democracy to other nations. Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead of bringing democracy they suppressed and exploited, and instead of giving freedom they enslaved and oppressed," Putin said.

6 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.

Comment:
Putin's full speech on accession of former Ukrainian territories:

US treats 'masochist' allies like enemies

Speaking in Moscow on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the collective West seeks to rule the world with an iron fist, not sparing even the "masochists" whom it calls allies but mistreats as much as the declared enemies.

US dictates are backed by brute force, "the law of the fist," Putin said, adding that any state that aspires to genuine sovereignty is declared an enemy and subjected to "deterrence," ringed with military bases and alliances, or sanctioned.

"When they are displeased, they introduce sanctions against their allies as well - against this or that bank or company. This is their practice and they will expand it. They have everything in their sights."

In launching the "sanctions blitzkrieg" against Russia, the West was blinded by its own "wishful thinking," believing the world would fall in line at its command - but as it turned out, the orders only excited "complete political masochists and admirers of other unconventional forms of international relations," the president said.

While he did not name the "political masochists," earlier in the speech Putin noted that the US "actually continues to occupy Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and other countries, which they cynically refer to as equals and allies," while spying on the homes and offices of their leaders, calling it "a disgrace for those who do this and for those who, like slaves, silently and meekly swallow this arrogant behavior."

The dictatorship of Western elites "targets all societies, including the citizens of Western countries themselves." He noted that politicians in Europe now "have to convince their fellow citizens to eat less, take a shower less often and dress warmer at home," while declaring anyone who dares to ask why a radical and extremist, falsely pointing to Russia as the culprit.

But people cannot be fed with printed dollars and euros. You can't feed them with those pieces of paper, and the virtual, inflated capitalization of Western social media companies can't heat their homes.

The Russian president also pointed to the "radical denial of moral, religious, and family values" by Western leaders, arguing that their

"complete renunciation of what it means to be human, the overthrow of faith and traditional values, and the suppression of freedom are coming to resemble a 'religion in reverse' - pure Satanism."

Faced with economic troubles they do not know how to resolve

"Leaders of the West may trigger a collapse of the entire system and blame everything on that, or - God forbid - decide to use the old formula of economic growth through war.

"Russia is aware of its responsibility to the international community and will make every effort to ensure that cooler heads prevail."

According to the Russian president, the "current neocolonial model is ultimately doomed," but its masters "will cling to it to the end" as they simply have nothing else to offer.

Putin's made his remarks at the signing ceremony for the acceptance of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye into the Russian Federation, following a week-long referendum that the West has denounced as a "sham" conducted "at gunpoint."

Commenting on the speech, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that Putin was "raving" about the Satanism of the West in order to justify his "colonial and imperial land grab" in Ukraine.