Russian President Vladimir Putin said the West has been reluctant to recognize “irreversible tectonic shifts” in international relations and that the Asia-Pacific region has become a magnet for attraction. human resources, capital and production capacity.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin on Wednesday accused the US of wanting to maintain a “dictatorship” over global affairs to the detriment of Europe and the rest of the world.
Putin repeatedly criticized the West in a speech to business leaders gathered in Russia’s far east, saying sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine were a “danger” to Russia. to the whole world and make Europe worse.
“The pandemic has been replaced by new challenges of a global nature, which carry a threat to the whole world, I am talking about hasty sanctions in the West and blatant aggressive efforts. of the West to impose their vivendi on other countries, Putin told delegates at Russia’s Eastern Economic Forum in the port city of Vladivostok on Russia’s Pacific coast.
He added: “The high level of industrial development in Europe, the standard of living, social and economic stability – all of this is being thrown into the fire of sanctions.
“They are being wasted on orders from Washington for the so-called Euro-Atlantic solidarity,” Putin said. “Even though in reality they are being sacrificed in the name of maintaining the American dictatorship in global affairs”.
CNBC has reached out to the White House to respond to Putin’s comment and is awaiting a response.
Russia is widely believed to have been taken aback by the West’s decisive and unified response to its gratuitous invasion of Ukraine, which began in February, with a growing number of sanctions being imposed. applied to the Russian economy, Kremlin-related personnel and businesses.
The EU is trying to phase out energy imports, especially natural gas, from Russia – a move that comes at a difficult time for the bloc in the face of rampant inflation and a price crisis. Living.
Not surprisingly, Moscow has downplayed sanctions and sought to sidestep their damaging economic consequences by turning to allies in Asia to sell its oil.
‘War criminal’
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, war continues to cause countless civilian suffering and death and devastation.
UN ‘said this week that, from 24 February when the invasion began to 4 September, 13,917 civilian casualties were recorded in Ukraine with 5,718 killed and 8,199 wounded – although the true number may be far away. , much higher than the chaotic nature of such data recording in times of war.
Millions of Ukrainians have fled the country during the war, with Russia being accused of numerous war crimes and repeated targeting of civilian infrastructure, which they deny despite overwhelming evidence.
US President Joe Biden has called Putin a “war criminal”. but on Tuesday refuses to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, a trademark that Ukraine has called for. The EU says Russia is “weaponizing” energy supplies to blackmail it into sanctions.
Russia currently holds swathes of territory in eastern and southern Ukraine but Kyiv’s forces have recently launched a counter-offensive aimed at recapturing lost lands.
The rotation to the east continues
The Russian president, who was largely ostracized by the developed world after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, said he believes the current situation is influenced by the “sliding dominance” of the US. in global politics and economy.
He said the West has been reluctant to recognize “irreversible tectonic changes” in global politics and international relations, especially the pivot to the east.
Describing the Asia-Pacific region as a “magnet” attracting human resources, capital and productive capacity, Putin said that “despite that, Western countries are trying to maintain order.” from the old world which only benefits them.
On Tuesday, Putin announced that China would pay for gas from Russia’s state gas company Gazprom in both their currencies, ruble and Chinese Yuansignaled a further attempt by both countries to move away from the dollar.
“Western countries have destroyed important pillars of the world economic system built over centuries,” Putin said.
“We’ve seen a loss of confidence in the dollar, euro and pound as currencies in which you can make trades, hold deposits or assets and that’s why, step by step , we are leaving the use he said.
Russia itself is facing a tough winter with the central bank forecasting a deeper fall in the third quarter.
Gross domestic product will shrink 7% in the third quarter after falling 4.3% in the second quarter, Reuters reported last month citing a report from the central bank. The bank forecasts the economy will begin to recover in the second half of 2023. Inflation stood at 15.1% in July, higher than the EU’s 9.8% in the same month.
Addressing business leaders on Wednesday, Putin said Russia would announce a budget surplus this year and GDP would fall “by 2% or a little bit more”.
