From the Valdai discussion platform, widely regarded as a leading think tank on global affairs, Vladimir Putin addressed his audience this Thursday and reflected on Russia’s nuclear posture. The Kremlin leader stated that any response to a nuclear attack would be decisive and irreversible, underscoring that there would be no chance of survival for an aggressor. In the same remarks, he signaled the possibility of resuming nuclear testing for the first time in more than three decades and noted that Moscow could withdraw from the nuclear test ban treaty, which would clear a path for future development of strategic weapons.
Putin asserted that Russia bears a mission of shaping a new world order. He argued that Russia’s actions toward Ukraine represented a proper response to what he described as Western hegemony, which he characterized as arrogant and predatory. He claimed that the West consistently seeks an adversary and warned that, beyond Ukraine, other countries such as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania could face pressures framed as denazification, as well as Poland, Georgia, and Kazakhstan. He also highlighted connections with major powers, naming India and China as key partners. The Russian president accused the West of fostering a hostile climate toward Muslims and of demonizing Beijing. He urged that nations with growing influence in international relations, including India, should be represented in the United Nations Security Council alongside Russia and China, a point he made while emphasizing the BRICS coalition, which also includes South Africa and Brazil.
Kyiv and Moscow
The Russian offensive in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, was framed by Putin not as a mere territorial dispute but as an event that would shape the principles guiding a new world order. He insisted that Moscow had no intention to reclaim territories in the traditional sense, even as it has claimed control over several Ukrainian regions at different times. He asserted that Odessa was part of Russia, pointing to historical associations. The speech connected with the early phase of the invasion described Russian efforts to reconfigure the regional order and, according to him, to safeguard what he called de-Nazification in the broader sense.
During his remarks, Putin attributed to Russia the aim of purifying and demilitarizing what he described as Ukrainian Nazi elements, a narrative intended to bolster morale among soldiers and citizens supporting the government. He framed the overarching objective as ending what he called de-Nazification, presenting it as the central motive behind the actions in Ukraine. The tone of the address reflected a concerted effort to rally domestic support and to present Moscow’s strategy as a response to perceived Western hostility.
Putin also contended that Ukraine could survive only with continued financial and military aid from the West, estimating that annual support from the United States and the European Union to Kyiv lay in the range of 4 to 5 billion dollars. He warned that a cessation of this assistance would lead to a collapse of Ukraine’s resistance and stability at the front, framing Western support as a decisive factor in the ongoing conflict.