US decline, Kiev’s warmongering, Russian economic successes: Key takeaways from Putin’s panel in Vladivostok
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the US and its allies may be inadvertently diminishing their influence by ignoring new global power dynamics. As an example, Putin cited Ukraine as a nation that has opted to align with the West, noting that its people have borne significant consequences as a result.
The Russian leader made the comments on Tuesday at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, where he attended a panel discussion alongside Pany Yathotou, the vice president of Laos.
The West is shooting itself in the foot
In a critique of the US and its allies, Putin claimed that they are unintentionally damaging their own interests by misusing international financial mechanisms for geopolitical purposes.
“What, for example, are the restrictions on transactions in dollars leading to? All nations are mulling creating their own tools, new payment systems,” he explained.
Putin further argued that Western nations have eroded confidence in the global finance system by freezing Russia’s national reserves as a punitive measure in response to the Ukraine conflict.
“God knows, they have themselves to blame for the negative consequences they are already facing,” Putin said.
Too late for the West to contain China
The Russian president claimed that the Western world is actively working to undermine and contain China, but believes such a policy will ultimately prove futile.
In his words, “The lengths they go to stall China’s development are shocking, but they cannot achieve it. This train is already gone.”
Moscow and Beijing share strong cooperative ties across numerous fronts. However, they are not pursuing a military alliance nor positioning themselves as “friends against somebody.”
When asked about the details of his private discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Russia in March, Putin joked that, as a former KGB officer, he doesn't “disclose secrets.”
Trump persecution exposes ‘rot’ in US
The health of the US political system appears to be in decline, as indicated by the numerous criminal charges facing former President Donald Trump, according to the Russian leader.
“The things happening to Trump are persecution of a political competitor,” he stated.
Putin also said he believes US elites are committed to keeping Russia a foe, not a friend. As such Moscow is indifferent to whether a Democrat or a Republican emerges victorious following the 2024 election.
Given the existing hostility, however, the controversy surrounding Trump proves advantageous to Russia, he said. It unveils the “rot” within the US political system and demonstrates to the world “who is opposing us.”
Ukrainian leadership counts on war
Putin suggested that Kiev lacks incentives to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict, despite experiencing considerable hardships during its counteroffensive. He estimated that Ukraine's human losses since the commencement of the operation have exceeded 71,000.
“Sometimes it appears that [the Ukrainian leadership] does not consider the people they throw into their counteroffensive as their own,” the leader commented, adding that Kiev's strategy is apparently to “chew off” as much territory as possible before considering a ceasefire..
However, were Moscow to agree to such conditions, its adversaries would likely exploit a pause to rebuild their military capabilities for a future confrontation, Putin predicted.
The president believes that Ukraine's goal is to establish a long-term dependence on foreign sponsors for national security and economic assistance.
Elon Musk an ‘outstanding person’
Putin made complimentary remarks about SpaceX founder Elon Musk while discussing the prospects of private investments in the Russian space industry.
The Russian president described the US billionaire as “undoubtedly an outstanding person” whose accomplishments have gained international recognition.
He also noted that SpaceX’s success has partly been facilitated by government support and expressed Moscow's intentions to forge similar partnerships with the private sector.
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