On October 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out in his speech at the 18th annual meeting of the "Valday" International Debate Club that the crisis in the world today is a crisis of human survival methods and principles, and the solution of systemic crises requires systematic and innovative methods; the state It still plays an irreplaceable role in international relations, but this does not mean that any country can impose on others on the principles of social and political arrangements and universal values; the United Nations "Five Permanents" cannot become "Impermanence", and the United Nations should become the promotion of world order The carrier of healthy conservatism in international relations necessary for normalization; Russia-US relations are in a state of "two further steps", NATO’s military presence in Ukraine poses a real threat to Russia; Russia and China have good relations with each other and do not target third parties. It is about mutual benefit and win-win results. The two countries have common goals and directions for efforts on the issue of Afghanistan.
Awareness about the world crisis
Putin pointed out in his keynote speech that the world today is facing a serious systemic crisis. One is the ever-increasing climate change and environmental degradation. This is manifested in natural disasters—droughts, floods, hurricanes, and tsunamis have almost become the new normal. Any geopolitical, technological, and ideological competition in this context seems to have lost its meaning, because the winner of the competition may not be able to solve the problem of breathing or thirst. Second, the social and economic problems of mankind have escalated into worldwide turbulence. The capitalist model that is the foundation of the social order of most countries in the world today has been exhausted because it cannot escape the increasingly complex contradictions. Third, the existing world governance mechanism cannot operate comprehensively and effectively, and cannot keep up with the development of the global crisis process. Many developing economies feel increasingly marginalized in the distribution of world power. The Western dominance in world affairs must give way to a more diverse system. Fourth, scientific progress has caused philosophical, moral, and spiritual problems.
Putin believes that the above-mentioned crisis is a crisis of survival methods and principles facing mankind today. To solve systemic crises requires systematic and innovative methods. This means that mankind must consider how to establish a stable world order without a war. He pointed out that out of the past tragic historical lessons, moderate conservatism should become the most wise choice to solve the current crisis, rather than a laissez-faire social experiment. Because the cost of this kind of experiment is sometimes incalculable, it not only destroys the material foundation of human existence, but also destroys the spiritual foundation of mankind, leaving behind a long-term unrecoverable moral ruin.
Cognition of the subject of international relations and the United Nations
Putin pointed out in his keynote speech that the coronavirus pandemic clearly shows that in today's global governance and national governance issues, the state is the real absolute protagonist, and its role is irreplaceable, especially the structural unit of the world order can only be the state. . Recent developments have shown that the development of global digital platforms has not been able to deprive the country of political or public functions. Only a sovereign state can effectively respond to severe challenges and meet the demands of citizens. Therefore, any effective international order must take into account the interests and capabilities of the country, that is, starting from the status of the country, rather than trying to prove that the country should not exist. Putin believes that emphasizing the irreplaceable role of the state in international relations does not mean that any country can impose on others the principles of social and political arrangements and universal values, "because it is obvious that when a real crisis comes, there is only one universal value. ——Human life and how to protect it are determined by each country according to its own ability, culture and tradition."
In the questioning stage of this annual meeting, in response to the host's remarks by Turkish President Erdogan on "abolishing the status of five permanent members of the UN Security Council" and "UN member states should not be divided into three, six or nine classes", Putin pointed out "When Erdogan met with me, he said that Turkey should become a permanent member of the Security Council, but this is not something that Russia can decide. India and South Africa also want to become permanent members of the Security Council. The question is how to strike a balance. The veto power of a permanent member state, then the United Nations will die that day and become the'Valday Club 2.0. From the end of World War II to the present, the balance of power in the world has undergone a global change. The Chinese economy has surpassed the United States in terms of purchasing power parity; India With a population of nearly 1.5 billion, the economy is developing rapidly; African and South American countries, such as Brazil, should also be reflected in the Security Council. The United Nations does need reform, but it must not destroy the existing foundation.” In fact, Putin is very clear that it is not just Turkey. Since the founding of the United Nations, many countries have tried to challenge the status of the "Five Permanents", trying to turn the "Five Permanents" into "Impermanence." Its essence is to deny the historical contribution of the five major powers in World War II and the responsibility of maintaining world stability. The United Nations is not perfect, and reform is a historical necessity. However, the abolition of the "five permanent" veto power, the United Nations will either be reduced to a hegemonic tool of certain countries, or reduced to a forum for talks.
On August 22, 2019, the United Nations Security Council held a public meeting in New York to discuss the issue of medium-range missiles. Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyyansky, delivered a speech at the meeting.
Putin has emphasized on many occasions that the United Nations has been criticized for failing to adapt to rapid changes, but this may not only be the fault of the United Nations itself, but also the fault of the participants. In any case, the United Nations mechanism not only embodies the spirit of standards and norms, but is based on the principle of equality and takes into account the opinions of all countries to the greatest extent. "We have the responsibility to continue to protect this asset through the reform of the United Nations mechanism, but we must ensure that children will not Splash it with the bath water." Putin particularly emphasized that the United Nations should become a carrier of healthy conservatism in international relations that is necessary to promote the normalization of the world order.
Cognition about Russia-U.S. Relations
In the discussion session of the annual meeting, Putin pointed out when talking about Russia-US relations after the Geneva summit, although both sides recognized the summit’s results, agreed to resume exchanges on certain important issues, and resumed strategic consultations and experts on cybersecurity issues. Level consultation, but there are not many issues to reach an agreement. Putin believes that Russia-US relations have been on the right path, and both sides are implementing the plans that have been drawn up. This is a signal of systematic significance. The bilateral trade between Russia and the United States increased by 23% year-on-year in the first six months of this year. This is a collateral effect, but there is also a retrogression in bilateral relations, which is the so-called "two further steps back." When talking about the specific entanglement between Russia and the United States, Putin first pointed to NATO's actual expansion towards the Russian border, and believed that NATO's military presence in Ukraine constitutes a real threat to Russia. He particularly emphasized that NATO, led by the United States, does not need to recognize Ukraine as a full member—Ukraine may not be a full member of NATO in the end, but NATO can deploy missiles and other military equipment around Russia under the guise of a training center. , Quickly destabilizing the situation. Putin regarded the visit of US Secretary of Defense Austin to Ukraine and the statement made as a precursor to Ukraine's entry into NATO, and in fact opened the door for Ukraine's entry into NATO. Putin also mentioned the commitment of all parties to Russia after the reunification of Germany in the 1980s that NATO facilities will not expand eastward in any way, and issued a public statement for this. But all of NATO's promises were turned into lies, and NATO expanded eastward one after another. Obviously, Putin is reminding the United States and NATO that Ukraine is a red line that NATO cannot cross.
When asked about the threat of the Third World War, Putin replied: "The nuclear powers have great responsibilities. In today's circumstances, it is meaningless to talk about the Third World War, but the threat of mutual destruction has always existed. We should not forget this point.” The implication is that Russia is a nuclear power and has the same nuclear capability as the United States to destroy the other side. Putin also pointed out that as a nuclear superpower, Russia has made many positive and important suggestions to partner countries, but "our partners are unwilling to pay attention to these things. This is not an easy task, but we will continue to work hard for it." .
Cognition about Sino-Russian relations
Putin talked about China and China-Russia relations many times during the meeting. When talking about the shortcomings of the capitalist system, he pointed out, "How to properly handle the relationship between the country and the market, China has provided excellent experience. Under the conditions of the leadership of the Communist Party of China, China's market mechanism has played an effective role." Dangbei When asked "NATO has regarded China and Russia as a threat as a whole, should China and Russia unite and treat a certain country as a common threat between the two countries", Putin pointed out: "First, we have said many times that Russia-China friendship is not In order to oppose a certain country, but for mutual benefit; second, unlike NATO countries, Russia and China do not establish closed military blocs, nor do they have the goal of creating such blocs. Therefore, such arguments have no basis."
Putin pointed out that China and Russia will continue to actively promote the stability of the situation in Afghanistan under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. He proposed to resume the work of the "Afghanistan Contact Group" within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to promote the new Afghan government to fulfill its commitment to establish peace and security. Putin pointed out that China and Russia share common goals on this issue and have carried out fruitful cooperation. "For China and Russia, the most important thing is that there can be no Afghanistan near the border between Russia and China that has become a hotbed of terrorism. We all hope that there will be a peaceful and developing Afghanistan." Putin also talked about the direction of China, Russia and the international community’s efforts on Afghanistan, that is, the Afghan Taliban generally strive to get rid of the "Islamic State" and other extremist forces in order to normalize the situation in Afghanistan. China, Russia and the international community should help Afghanistan recover its economy, so as to solve the drug problem, but the main responsibility for this should be borne by the country that has fought in Afghanistan for 20 years. As the Chinese government has repeatedly emphasized, Putin believes that “this must first unfreeze Afghanistan’s foreign deposits so that Afghanistan can solve urgent socio-economic tasks.” He also talked about the Russian resources that China and Russia can use in Afghanistan’s cooperation-“Russia There are major projects in Afghanistan, and the Russian security agencies have been in contact with relevant Afghan agencies on security issues.” “Russia and China will actively cooperate to allocate all these necessary resources so that the Afghan issue does not affect the security of our two countries.”
To sum up, it is not difficult to find that, unlike the previous participation in the Valday Forum, which carried out fierce shelling on the United States and the West, during this forum, Putin demonstrated his understanding of international politics in the "post-epidemic era". It also has the vision of all mankind and the sense of suffering.
