Russian President Calls for Avoiding Escalation and Non-Use of Nuclear Weapons

Moscow, Jan 1 (KUNA) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the world is going through a “critical” transition that will lead to a “new multipolar global order,” calling for the avoidance of escalation and the non-use of nuclear weapons and artificial intelligence in the military sphere. In a speech delivered during the plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club, Putin warned that the situation in Europe and the world is “extremely dangerous,” stressing the need to work to overcome the current period of instability “so that the formation of a multipolar world has become inevitable.” He affirmed that Russia would use all available means if it were subjected to a direct attack, stating, “We will use our competitive capabilities and the unique means of destruction at our disposal in the event of a direct attack on Russian territory, as the question of using all available weapons will immediately be placed on the agenda.” Regarding the war in Ukraine, Putin argued that Russia “did not start the war but was deliberately pushed into it,” adding, “We were forced to take up arms and defend ourselves with force in the face of clear and direct aggression.” He further stated that Russia would not accept the transformation of “Russophobia and anti-Russian sentiment into a state ideology or into a goal aimed at achieving a strategic defeat of Russia,” while simultaneously calling for the search for a way out of the Ukrainian conflict. The Valdai International Discussion Club, established in Russia in 2004, is a research center and international discussion forum that seeks to bring together key experts and politicians on the international stage to discuss the most prominent global issues and geopolitical shifts. (End) D.A.N./S.A.M.