West taken leading position globally largely through ‘robbing other nations’: Russian president

ANKARA

The West has taken a leading position in the world largely through “robbing other nations,” and it cannot offer its own model of the future, the Russian president said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the plenary session of the forum of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives — an autonomous non-profit organization set up by the Russian government — Vladimir Putin stressed that a “new era” is coming in world history, adding that only truly sovereign states can show high growth dynamics.

“Russia must move forward, it is unacceptable only to rest on our laurels and rejoice in the successes of our ancestors,” he said.

Putin noted that the so-called “golden billion” model of the West is unfair as it divides people into first and second grade, dubbing it “racist and neo-colonial.”

The unipolar world order was a brake on development, Putin said.

Speaking on the gas tribune issue, Putin claimed that Canada did not want to provide the turbine for the Nord Stream pipeline not because of the Russian “special military operation,” but because it produces oil and gas itself.

“Sitting on foreign technologies all the time means sinking into humiliating dependence, the retreat of foreigners forced Russia to move,” the Russian leader said.

Putin also questioned the quality of the repair of the turbine, which he said should be returned from Canada.

While issues related to the natural gas supply continue, Russia’s energy giant Gazprom announced that it cannot guarantee gas flow due to a gas tribune problem.

The turbine, which was repaired by German industrial giant Siemens in Canada, was decided to be sent to Germany instead of Russia due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Gazprom had reduced the natural gas flow to Europe citing the absence of the turbine.

• Turbine
• Vladimir Putin
• West