Kenneth Glad
Political leaders often use major speeches to outline their government’s position on international affairs and domestic priorities. Such remarks can offer insight into official messaging, while remaining subject to independent scrutiny and verification.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Western governments of trying to weaken Russia through sanctions and political pressure during remarks to State Duma lawmakers.
The comments were reported by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti following Putin’s July 27 meeting with deputies.
The report presents his account of the dispute and does not independently verify the claims made during the address.
Sanctions and pressure
At the center of the speech was the Western response to Russia since 2022. Putin described that policy as a “Russophobic machine” and argued that economic and political restrictions against Moscow had intensified sharply.
He also referred to pressure imposed before 2022, including after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of conflict in eastern Ukraine. Putin used the Kremlin-aligned term “Russian Spring” when referring to those events.
According to RIA Novosti, the Russian leader said Western countries had imposed a record number of sanctions while failing to achieve their objectives. The agency’s report cited no evidence from Putin supporting his assessment of their effectiveness.
Sanctions introduced after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine have targeted Russian banks, companies, technology imports, energy revenues and individuals linked to the state. Western governments have described the measures as an effort to restrict Moscow’s ability to finance and sustain the war.
Putin presented the restrictions differently, portraying them as part of a wider attempt to undermine Russia’s economy and institutions.
The campaign, he argued, was intended to destabilize society and damage the country’s banking system, industry, science and education. He maintained that those efforts had failed to weaken Russia’s national resolve.
Global competition
The address then shifted to the international system. Putin described the current period as a decisive stage in Russian history and said a new world order was emerging through intense competition between major powers.
His remarks reflected the Kremlin’s longstanding portrayal of Russia as a country facing coordinated external pressure from Western governments.
The speech also allowed Putin to connect domestic resilience with Russia’s broader foreign-policy position, presenting economic pressure and geopolitical rivalry as parts of the same confrontation.
Putin concluded by saying Russia would continue defending its security and independence, as well as what he called “truth and justice.”
Source: RIA Novosti
