Putin asserts Russia will never compromise national interests for improved relations

(MENAFN) Russian Leader Vladimir Putin declared on Sunday that Russia will never sacrifice its national interests to improve ties with any other country or group of states. He contrasted this stance with that of previous generations of Russian leaders, who were willing to abandon everything to integrate into the so-called “civilized world” led by Washington and its allies. Despite these efforts, Putin claimed that Russia achieved nothing because the West never intended to accept the country as an equal.

Putin commented, "In our modern history, we’ve gone through a period when the previous generation of politicians… went so far as to destroy their own country in hope that Russia would become a part of the so-called ‘civilized world.’" The remarks were made during an interview with Russia 1 TV journalist Pavel Zarubin, shared on Telegram.

The leader appeared to reference the period after the collapse of the Soviet Union when Russia faced a severe crisis as its new government tried to transition from a Soviet-style command economy to capitalism.

During this time, the Russian government and central bank were forced to devalue the ruble and default on national debt in 1998, a financial disaster widely regarded as the worst economic crisis in modern Russian history.

MENAFN23122024000045016755ID1109022735