"We have always been proud of our nation. But we do not claim to be any sort of superpower with a claim to global or regional hegemony; we do not encroach on anyone's interests, impose our patronage on anyone, or try to teach others how to live their lives." Noting Russia's many centuries of experience, "not of so-called tolerance, neutered and barren, but the actual modern, life of different peoples within the framework of a single state," he pledged to defend international law . (There are currently 160 nationalities within the Russian Federation.)
With its usual ethnocentric bias, the European and American press take every opportunity to criticize Russia for its testy tolerance of gay life styles, overlooking Putin's far more numerous followers in the developing world. According to Putin, "The destruction of traditional values from above leads to negative consequences for society and is anti-democratic when it is contrary to the will of the majority."
Confirming what I have noted in recent blogs, Putin emphasized the importance "not only of material existence but also (religion and) spirituality, the values of humanism and global diversity."
Finally, referring to the situation in Syria, he said the agreement to destroy Syria's chemical weapons confirmed the indispensable role of the U.N., and together with the negotiations on Iran's nuclear program showed that "any international problem can and should be resolved exclusively through political means, without resorting to forceful actions that are rejected by most nations in the world."
We may never know all the behind-the-scenes negotiations over Ukraine; however, the entire thrust of Putin's speech lends credence to his assertion that Russia wants a three-way negotiated solution. Even if we assume that Putin does not believe his own lofty words, that is less of a problem than the fact that American politicians do believe theirs, which reject compromise and negotiations in favor of the big stick. Whatever the future of Russia, as 2013 draws to a close, it is clear to anyone who looks beyond the New York Times that the world is increasingly weary of America's bullying.
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