RTSun, 04 May 2025 15:34 UTC
© Sputnik / Kristina Kormilitsyna
Russia is standing alone against the West, which is waging an "existential war" against the country, President Vladimir Putin has said.
Putin made the remarks in a documentary titled
'Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 years,' filmed by Rossiya-1 broadcaster and released on Sunday. The film marks the 25-year anniversary of Putin becoming the country's president for the first time.
He inaugurated on May 7, 2000.
The documentary features conversations between Putin and journalist Pavel Zarubin on various matters, including the hostilities between Ukraine and Russia, as well as a broader conflict between Moscow and the West.
"
Russia is essentially standing alone against the collective West. This required a serious attitude to the possible development of the situation in this particular sense," Putin stated.
It has been clear from the early 2000s that the West has been acting "insidiously" against Russia, speaking about one thing and doing the opposite, Putin noted. The West's failure to hear Russia's repeated warnings, as well as its refusal to fully recognize the country's sovereignty and respect its national interests, has ultimately led to the ongoing crisis, the president explained.
"This 'civilized world' decided that Russia had weakened, historical Russia called the Soviet Union had collapsed, and the remaining parts needed to be finished off. The largest of them was the Russian Federation, and it also needed to be partitioned into 4-5 pieces. I was responsible for the future of the country. Of course, I began working to ensure that this never happened," he said.
Moscow has repeatedly described the hostilities in Ukraine as a Western proxy war against Russia, in which Ukrainians are being used as "cannon fodder." Russian officials have argued that the US and other Western powers intentionally escalated tensions by disregarding Moscow's security concerns over NATO's expansion in Eastern Europe and its growing military cooperation with Ukraine.
Russia and the collective West ended up locked into an "existential war," Putin stressed, adding that many in the West have now openly admitted that. Back in March, for instance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the conflict as "frankly, a proxy war between nuclear powers - the United States, helping Ukraine, and Russia" and said the West should abandon its dead-end strategy of propping up Kiev "for as long as it takes."
Comment:
About the documentary, the Russian newspaper,
Kommersant, has said, if translated:
04.05.2025, 15:13
Putin on reconciliation with Ukraine, provocations of the West and thoughts about a successor. Main
The TV channel 'Russia 1' released a documentary film by Saida Medvedeva and Pavel Zarubin 'Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 years.' In it, Vladimir Putin answered journalists' questions about the main world events and showed his Kremlin apartment. The main statements of the President of Russia are in the Kommersant selection.
About Ukraine
- Reconciliation with Ukraine is inevitable, it is a matter of time.
- Even without nuclear weapons, Russia has enough forces and means to complete the NWO with the result it needs.
- Russia could not proceed with drastic decisions on Ukraine without carrying out work in the field of security and economy.
- Russia did not prepare specifically for the NWO and wanted to solve the problem of Donbass by peaceful means.
- Russia was forced to support the Crimeans and Sevastopol residents in 2014, but it was unrealistic to start a special military operation then.
- When announcing the NWO, he counted on the support of the Russians and an appropriate reaction, but he was aware of the risks.
About the West
- The West wanted to provoke Russia to make mistakes and strike back at it.
- The West constantly wants to 'bite off' something from Russia, to subjugate it, to make it more obedient.
- The West did not hear the warning at the Munich Conference, which led to the events in Ukraine.
- Russia, in fact, is single-handedly confronting the collective West.
On the Minsk Agreements
- The West, under the pretext of the Minsk agreements, took a pause to rearm Ukraine.
- Russia counted on compliance with the Minsk agreements, but the country was simply cheated.
- The situation with the Minsk agreements is an experience that needs to be taken into account in the future.
About Russia
- Now the poverty level in Russia is the lowest in recent history.
- In order for the country to be stable, people's trust in the government is needed. And in order to gain trust, it is necessary to improve the situation of people.
- Russia without traditional values will lose its identity.
- The moral and ethical basis of the self-consciousness of Russians is the foundation of the future of Russia.
- The issue of demography is one of the most fundamental for the development of Russia.
- Separatist tendencies in Russia in the 1990s were strong, and not only in the North Caucasus.
- If in the 90s they had not been able to hold the country, Russia would have faced a very sad future.
About China
- At the beginning of my presidency, I noticed that the centers of economic growth were shifting to Asia, and besides, we are neighbors.
- Gradually, brick by brick, we did not build a new Chinese wall, but built a common foundation for our relations.
About the G7
- Look at how many countries are in the so-called 'Big Seven'. Now it is no longer clear why it is 'Big'.
- The BRICS countries have already surpassed the G7 countries in terms of purchasing power parity.
About the future
- In 25 years, the Asia-Pacific region will become more powerful economically and politically, and the share of the G7 in the world economy and world affairs will continue to decrease.
About the successor
- I constantly think about a successor, but in the end the choice will be up to the Russians.
- Several people should appear who could gain the trust of the people.
About himself
- It has been 25 years since I have been President and Prime Minister. I continue to breathe the same air with millions of Russian citizens.
- For the last three years, I have often slept in the Kremlin.
- Grandchildren may come to the Kremlin unexpectedly, but they still try to ask in advance when I will have a window.
- I do sports for an hour and a half a day, I try to go to the pool and go out on the ice for cardio.
- During the seizure of the theater center, Nord-Ost knelt down for the first time to pray.
- The tragedy of Beslan will forever remain in memory. This is a special case, these are children.
Collected by Anna Tokareva
In the following YouTube upload of the documentary, one can switch on auto-generated and translated subtitles:
Another article based on the interview, see:
West wanted Russia 'to make mistakes' and nuke Ukraine - Putin In the comment to that article there is another list of key points, with much overlap and also a few differences. What is emphasized depends on the viewer and the perceived relevance.
I remember the meeting you had with Xi - what was it - about a year ago - at least that one held in Russia I recall - and at the conclusion there was a real sense that historic changes - for the better one can pray - were on the way.
I mean - I live in the so-called "West" - and I don't even halfway recognize my "homeland" these days....I think it all started going downhill in '63 truly when outside entities decided to take out JFK.....but there were problems well before that - 1913 comes to mind.....oh gracious - better ideas beckon - and what is the so-called "West" these days - besides worn out ideas proven wrong in the 20th century.
So - I don't think Russia is "standing alone" - and God Bless the Motherland comrade!
~
BK, 5525 1202