At a press conference last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country must be sovereign, otherwise it will not exist, the West, having “unleashed aggression” against Russia, hoped to “collapse the political system, sow confusion”, Russian media reported.
Vladimir Putin said:
“Russia, like some countries, cannot give up its sovereignty in exchange for sausage and become someone’s satellite. Russia must be sovereign, otherwise it will not exist.”Â
In his speech, he thanked the United Russia Party for its “consistent and reliable support” – the party unanimously backed his self-nomination as a candidate in the presidential election. The president said:
“Together we still have a lot to do in the interests of Russia. We are facing historic tasks without exaggeration.”
Putin called competition and “honest discussion of ideas” the key to the country’s dynamic development. He noted:
“But for all the difference of views, political forces should remember that the main thing for us is the right and vital necessity of our country to be strong. So, we should put aside secondary things, we will make decisions without prompting from abroad.”
According to the president, the West, having “unleashed aggression” against Russia, hoped “to collapse the political system, to sow confusion”. Such methods, he said, have been tried during “colour revolutions” in other countries, but in Russia, a “free, sovereign state,” “such recipes will not work.”
On 6 October, the president said that Russia’s greatness is based on sovereignty, and sovereignty, in turn, is impossible without self-sufficiency in technology, finance, economy and security of the state.
