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Russian President Vladimir Putin

MOSCOW. – Russia does not seek the role of a regional or global hegemony, but will defend its core values and interests, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. All attempts to impose on other nations have failed, he added. The Russian leader gave an assurance that Russia wants to respect the sovereignty and stability of other countries, as he was addressing the Federal Assembly, the collective of the two houses of the Russian parliament.

“We will seek leadership by defending international law, advocating respect for national sovereignty, independence and the uniqueness of peoples,” Putin said.

“We have always been proud of our country, but we do not aspire to the title of superpower, which is understood to be pretence for global or regional hegemony.

“We do not impinge on anyone’s interests, do not impose our patronage, do not attempt to lecture anyone on how they should live,” he added.

Putin did not directly mention the United States in his speech, but the reference to Washington’s military actions in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya was hard to overlook.

Those and less direct interventions, like the support of the rebel forces in Syria, have led to regress for the respective nations, Putin stated.
On the other hand Russia’s approach, which rejects the use of force and promotes political dialogue and compromise, have been fruitful in both Syria and Iran, the Russian president said.

“In Syria the world community had to make a joint and fateful decision. It was either the continuation of the degradation of the world order, the rule of the right of might, the right of the fist, the multiplication of chaos.

“Or to collectively take responsible decisions,” Putin explained, praising the world, Russia included, for taking the second path.
It was Russia’s involvement that to a large degree helped to prevent military intervention in Syria and paved the way for the deal involving the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal.

If this hadn’t happened, the Syrian conflict might have escalated and impacted countries far away from the Middle East, Putin said.
“We acted in a firm, thoughtful and measured manner. At no time did we endanger either our own interests and security or global stability. I believe that this is the way a mature and responsible nation should act,” he stated.

The Syrian precedent was reinforced by the recent breakthrough in the conflict over Iran’s nuclear programme.
“We need to continue a patient search for a broader solution, which would ensure the inalienable right of Iran to develop its peaceful nuclear energy industry and the security of all countries in the region, including Israel,” Putin said.

Iran and the P5+1 group have signed an interim agreement, which lifts some of sanctions issued against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme in exchange for a temporary slowdown of Tehran’s nuclear development.

The deal is hoped to lead to a permanent accord, which would settle the decades-long conflict.
Putin also said attempts to destroy traditional values were “anti-democratic,” in an apparent dig at the West which has slammed Kremlin’s crackdown on gay rights.

Putin has promoted a distinctly conservative agenda since coming to the Kremlin for a third term last year after huge protests against his 13-year rule.

He warned against attempts to revisit traditional norms and values espoused by the majority.
“Moral and ethical norms are being revisited today in many countries, national traditions and differences between nations and cultures are being erased,” he said.

“Such destruction of traditional values from ‘above’ not only brings about negative consequences for (the) entire society but is also fundamentally ‘anti-democratic’ and against the will of a majority of people.”

Putin has insisted the rights of gays and lesbians are protected in Russia but also said homosexual unions do not produce offspring, a major problem for a country facing a demographic crisis.

“We  know that more and more people  in  the world support our position on protection of traditional values” he said.
“Over the past years we’ve seen how attempts to impose an allegedly more progressive model of development on other countries in reality ended up in regression, barbarity and great blood,” Putin  added, referring to conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa. -RT/AFP.