Putin says western states trying to scupper BRICS

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the BRICS summit in South Africa via video link on Thursday, the Russian leader pointed out that the group’s efforts to create a new world order based on multipolarity has “irreconcilable opponents” who wish to slow down the process and restrain the formation of new and independent centers of development and influence in the world.

Putin said that states of the “golden billion” are doing everything in their power to preserve a unipolar world that suits them and is beneficial to them.

“They are trying to replace the system of international law with their own so-called rules-based-order,” the president stated, adding that no one has actually seen the rules, which are constantly being changed and adapted to benefit the interests of individual countries.

The Russian leader went on to state that the way the countries operate is tantamount to colonialism, but “in a new package, which, by the way, doesn’t look that good.”

“Modern colonialists, hiding behind the good slogans of democracy and human rights, seek to solve their problems at someone else’s expense, continuing to shamelessly pump resources out of developing countries,” Putin claimed.

At the same time, he maintained that these “modern colonialists” also create financial relationships with developing economies that make it nearly impossible for the borrowers to pay off their debts.

“It no longer looks like loan obligations, but like an indemnity,” Putin continued.

He went on to name “radical neoliberalism” as another threat to the new, multipolar world order, which he said was being imposed by some countries that wish to destroy crucial traditional values, such as the institution of the family and the respect for national and religious traditions.

“For the sake of opportunistic tasks, some politicians do not hesitate to even justify neo-Nazism, xenophobia, extremism of different kinds and condone terrorists,” the president observed.

Putin stated that “the world majority,” a large portion of which are represented in BRICS, have grown tired of pressure and manipulation and wish to establish honest, equal, and mutually respectful cooperation.