President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence that the large-scale changes that are now taking place both in Russia and in the rest of the world are leading to the better.
The head of state touched upon this topic during a video address to the participants of the first congress of the Russian Movement of Children and Youth.
“The whole world is changing.
I believe this is a change for the better.
And I hope that with our deeds, deeds, our determination and, at the same time, the openness of our intentions, plans, principles, we will be able to make the world more just," Putin said.
“One where all peoples are truly equal, where everyone has the right to respect, to follow their traditions, speak their native language, honor their ancestors, and where everyone has the opportunity for maximum self-realization, regardless of whether in what conditions a person grew up, what family he comes from, ”the president explained.
Last week, he spoke about the sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation from the collective West and about the successful response of the Russian side.
During a meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects on December 15, Putin stressed that the "unprecedented sanctions aggression" was aimed at crushing the country's economy in a short time and through theft of foreign exchange reserves to collapse the national currency, provoking devastating inflation.
According to the head of state, this calculation was not justified, since the Russian authorities and entrepreneurs worked "collectively and professionally", and citizens showed solidarity and responsibility.
Thus, thanks to the joint work of the government, the Central Bank and the regions, it was possible to stabilize the situation, Putin noted.
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The President continued, drawing attention to the fact that the decline in the country's GDP by the end of the year is expected at the level of 2.5%, which is significantly lower than the 20% that many experts predicted when the West unleashed an economic war against Russia.
According to Putin, the price level has hardly changed since the surge in the spring, and the Russian ruble has become one of the strongest currencies in the world since the beginning of the year.
As the head of state noted, Russia will maintain a responsible financial and macroeconomic policy, which in the coming years not only guarantees full financing of social obligations, but also the solution of new tasks facing the country.
“This policy is important not only to respond to current challenges, but also in the long term.
And we will adhere to it, focusing on the fact that it should, above all, become a solid foundation for economic growth for years to come,” the president said.
“By imposing sanctions, Western countries tried to push Russia to the periphery of world development, but we will never follow the path of self-isolation and autarky... On the contrary, we are expanding and will continue to expand cooperation with everyone who is interested in this, who clearly understands where where are national, own interests,” Putin stated.
At the same time, earlier Putin noted that there is no unity in the West, which puts pressure on Russia.
As the president said during the plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club at the end of October, the West denies the sovereignty of countries and peoples, their originality and uniqueness, and does not put the interests of other states in anything.
He recalled the proposals aimed at strengthening the collective security system, which Russia had repeatedly made, but in December 2021 they were once again “simply thrown aside.”
“Humanity now, in fact, has two ways: either to continue to accumulate a burden of problems that will inevitably crush us all, or to try together to find solutions, albeit imperfect, but working, capable of making our world more stable and safer,” — Putin said.
“You know, I have always believed and believe in the power of common sense.
Therefore, I am convinced that sooner or later both the new centers of a multipolar world order and the West will have to start an equal conversation about a common future for us, and the sooner the better, of course, ”the president stressed.