‘Indian leadership independent, nationally oriented’: Putin says West’s attempts to sway New Delhi ‘pointless’

Here’s a round-up of key points from Putin’s speech.

1. 01

   'Indian leadership independent, strongly nationally oriented'

   Putin, speaking at the event in Sochi, accused the West of trying to portray those who are not willing to blindly follow them as "enemies".

   "Russia is a favourite subject for these politickers. We have grown used to this over the course of history, of course. But they try to portray those who are not willing to blindly follow these Western elite groups as enemies," he said.

   "They have used this approach with various countries, including the People’s Republic of China, and they tried to do this to India in certain situations. They are flirting with it now, as we can see very clearly. We are aware of and see the scenarios they are using in Asia. I would like to say that the Indian leadership is independent and strongly nationally oriented. I think these attempts are pointless, yet they continue with them," Putin added.

2. 02

   'Prosperity of the West achieved by robbing colonies for centuries'

   Criticising Russia's Western “colleagues,” especially those from the United States, Putin said they have taken a "steady" course towards hegemony in military affairs, politics, the economy, culture and even morals and values. "Since the very beginning, it has been clear to us that attempts to establish a monopoly were doomed to fail," he said.

   He further said: "The world is too complicated and diverse to be subjected to one system, even if it is backed by the enormous power of the West accumulated over centuries of its colonial policy. The prosperity of the West has been achieved by robbing colonies for several centuries. Essentially, this level of development has been achieved by robbing the entire planet."

3. 03

   'Our counterparties in the West have lost their sense of reality'

   Putin said arbitrariness "reigns" in the international system where all decision-making is up to those who think they are "exceptional, sinless and right."

   Claiming that the West has "crossed every line", he said, "Any country can be attacked simply because it is disliked by a hegemon, who has lost any sense of proportion – and I would add, any sense of reality."

4. 04

   'The West always need an enemy'

   Putin alleged that commitment to bloc-based approaches and the push to drive the world into an ongoing “us versus them” confrontation is a "bad legacy of the 20th century" and a product of the Western political culture in its "most aggressive manifestations."

   He added that the elite of the West needed an enemy to justify the need for military action and expansion. He said: "But they also need an enemy to maintain internal control within a certain system of this very hegemon and within blocs like NATO or other military-political blocs. There must be an enemy so everyone can rally around the leader."

5. 05

   'Arrogance of Western partners through the roof'

   Talking about Russia's entry into an "extremely difficult" and new stage of development post-Soviet Union's dissolution 20 years ago, Putin said: "We launched the process of building a new and what we saw as a more just world order energetically and with goodwill. It is a boon that our country can make a huge contribution because we have things to offer to our friends, partners and the world as a whole."

   He expressed regret that Russia's interest in "constructive interaction" was viewed as an admission that it was ready to follow others in line with the new world order "created by those who declared themselves the winners in the Cold War."

   "Over these years, we warned more than once that this approach would not only lead to a dead-end but that it was fraught with the increasing threat of a military conflict. But nobody listened to us or wanted to listen to us. The arrogance of our so-called partners in the West went through the roof. This is the only way I can put it," he added.

6. 06

   'What right do you have to warn others?'

   In another allegation, Putin said the Western "colleagues," especially those from the United States, don’t just arbitrarily set rules, but also teach others to follow and dictate behaviours as well. "All of this is done and expressed in a blatantly ill-mannered and pushy way. This is another manifestation of colonial mentality. All the time we hear, 'you must,' 'you are obligated,' 'we are seriously warning you'" he said.

   Questioning their right to do so, he said: " Maybe those who say all this should get rid of their arrogance and stop behaving in such a way towards the global community that perfectly knows its objectives and interests, and should drop this colonial-era thinking? I want to tell them sometimes: wake up, this era has long gone and will never return."