(MENAFN) Former Russian Defense Minister and current Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has claimed that Western powers are attempting to break Russia into dozens of small, weak states. Speaking in an op-ed for Argumenty i Fakty ahead of National Unity Day on November 4, Shoigu argued that the West mistakenly views Russia’s ethnic diversity as a vulnerability.

“Adversaries falsely believe” Russia’s ethnically diverse makeup is a weakness, he wrote, adding that attempts to sow division would fail due to the strength of Russian society. He described ongoing attacks on Russia’s history, culture, and spiritual values, asserting that the West’s goal is the “de-sovereigntization” of the country.

Shoigu emphasized that Russia’s multi-ethnic composition—including over 100 ethnic minorities, seven Muslim-majority, and two Buddhist-majority regions—provides moral strength and unity that can withstand external pressures.

His comments come amid several Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) resolutions since 2022 calling for the “decolonization” of Russia, which Moscow has denounced as “Russophobia” and “neocolonial chauvinism.”

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