The West needs to get rid of arrogance and colonial thinking, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, adding that the era of colonial rule is long over.
"It's time to get rid of this colonial thinking. I want to say this: open your eyes. This era is long over and will never come back," Putin highlighted.
The president added that a lasting world peace will be established when everyone feels safe, understands that their opinion is respected and that there is a global balance.
"Lasting peace will be established only when everyone feels safe, understands that their opinion is respected and that there is a balance in the world when no one is able to force others to live and behave as the hegemon wants," he noted.
In addition, the leader stressed that the welfare of the West was largely achieved through the plundering of colonies, the entire planet, and the history of the West is "a chronicle of an endless expansion."
"The prosperity of the West has largely been achieved thanks to the plundering of the colonies over the centuries. Well, it's a fact. Actually, this level of development is largely [achieved] due to the robbery of the entire planet. The history of the West is essentially a chronicle of endless expansion," he revealed.
Moreover, Putin underlined that the United States and its "satellites" have set a course for hegemony - military, political, economic, cultural and even moral.
"The arrogance of our so-called partners in the West, you know, was just off the scale, it's impossible to say otherwise. The US and its satellites have firmly set a course for hegemony: military, political, economic, cultural, even moral," the head of state said," the head of state said.
Furthermore, the head of Russia emphasized the country's readiness for "constructive interaction has been misunderstood by some states."
"They understood it as submission, as readiness for the fact that a new order will be built by those who declared themselves winners in the cold war. In fact, it was a recognition that Russia is ready to be guided not by its own national interests, but by the interests of others. All these years, we have repeatedly warned that such approach leads not just to a dead end, it is fraught with an increase in the threat of military conflict. But no one was going to listen to and hear us, no one wanted to," the president noted.
The leader also noted that the problem of the West's attitude towards Russia is in its geopolitical interests, arrogant attitude towards others and self-confidence.
"What is the problem? Apparently, the problem is in geopolitical interests and arrogant attitude towards others. That's the problem — self-confidence. That's the problem," Putin stated.
In addition, according to the president, a certain part of the Western elites always needs an enemy, the fight against which can explain the need for forceful actions and expansions, but it is also needed to maintain internal control in the hegemony system.
"I repeat, the West always needs an enemy, well, a certain part of the Western elites. An enemy is needed, the fight against which can explain the need for forceful actions and expansions. But it is also needed to maintain internal control in a certain system of this very hegemony, within the blocs, within NATO, or other military-political blocs. There is an enemy, everyone should rally around the boss," the leader explained.
Moreover, the Russian head of state highlighted that "it should have become obvious to everyone" that any attempts by stronger nations to impose their interests on others are unacceptable, but this lesson has not been learned.
"It was clear to us from the very beginning that attempts [by the West] to establish a monopoly are doomed to failure; the world is too complex and diverse to be brought to a single pattern, even if behind it is the enormous power of the West, accumulated through centuries of colonial policy," Putin underscored.
Furthermore, the leader stressed that Russia and its partners are facing the mission of building a "new world."
"We are facing, in essence, the task of building a new world," he noted.
Continuing the talk about Russia, the president mentioned that the Russian civilization could be neither reduced to a common denominator nor viewed as a combination of separate parts.
"The Russian civilization cannot be reduced to a common denominator. Neither can it be divided because it exists only as a whole — both spiritually and culturally," the head of state said.
Apart from this, Putin underlined that the world saw major shifts in the past 20 years, adding that "time seems to shrink" during pivotal moments when the world order changes.
"By historical standards, 20 years is not a very long time, but when it coincides with the collapse of the entire world order, time seems to shrink. And I think you will agree that more has happened in these 20 years than in many, many decades. And these changes are qualitative, requiring fundamental changes in the very principles of international relations," Putin stressed.
The president added that in a world system, where the chaos reigns, any country can be held at gunpoint - simply because the hegemon did not like it.
"Everyone is aware that in an international system where the chaos reigns, where everything is decided by the one who imagines himself to be exceptional, sinless and the only right, anyone can be held at gunpoint. Just for the reason that this or that country did not suit the hegemon, who lost a sense of proportion and - I will add - a sense of reality," Putin said.
In addition, the leader emphasized that the situation in the West is fickle and prone to internal political shifts after elections, with countries promoting the opposite views they did before.
"The paradox is that the situation could change as early as tomorrow. This is the problem. For example, there will be internal political shifts after the next elections. The country is insisting on something, pushing through its actions at all costs, and tomorrow there will be internal political changes. And with the same pressure and unceremoniousness, something completely different, sometimes directly opposite, is pushed through," he elaborated.
Commenting on the Russian special military in Ukraine, Putin clarified that Russia did not start a conflict in the country, on the contrary, its goal is to end it.
"We did not start the so-called war in Ukraine, on the contrary, we are trying to end it," Putin explained.
In addition, the president stressed that it was not Russia that was threatening Donbas with bombings, intimidated Crimea for nearly a decade, used tanks and killed people, but Ukraine. The president also said that the crisis in Ukraine is not a territorial conflict, as Russia has no interests in terms of conquering any territories.
The Valdai International Discussion Club is an association of leading foreign and Russian experts in the field of political science, economics, history and international relations. The club was established in September 2004 on the initiative of the RIA Novosti news agency, the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, the Moscow Times newspaper, the magazines "Russia in Global Politics" and Russia Profile.
Since 2014, the club has moved from the format of "telling the world about Russia" to practically oriented work on the formation of a global agenda, to a qualified and objective assessment of global political and economic problems. One of the main goals of the club is the consolidation of the world intellectual elite to develop solutions to overcome the crises of the world system.