Putin: Russia and China maintain their sovereignty in the face of Western hegemony

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Washington on Tuesday of trying to prolong the conflict in Ukraine, as well as of provoking China through Taiwan, saying that Russia and China maintain their sovereignty in the face of Western hegemony, while Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu considered that the Ukraine war ended the unipolar era.

In a speech at the Moscow International Security Forum, Putin said that Western countries are seeking to extend a NATO-like system to the Asia-Pacific region, and that they hold Russia responsible for its "failure" and are trying to create a new bloc in Asia.

Putin added that the United States is trying to "prolong" the conflict in Ukraine, and that it has tried to pour oil on the fire in other regions around the world, as is happening in Taiwan, considering that the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan this month is a "precisely planned" provocation.

Putin considered that a multipolar world based on international laws is in everyone's interest without exception, declaring that "Russia and China maintain their sovereignty in the face of Western hegemony."

The Russian president also considered in his speech that the West is in constant need of crises to maintain its hegemony over the world.

In turn, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said during the opening of the forum that global security has deteriorated worse than it was in the days of the Cold War.

The minister added that the number of NATO forces in Eastern and Central Europe has been increased several times, and that the joint Western forces in Ukraine are facing the Russian forces.

Shoigu considered that the unipolar era ended with the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, and that there are now multiple poles.

He also said that the Ukrainian army's operations are being planned by the United States and Britain.

The Russian Defense Minister stressed that the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine did not affect the military operation there, adding, "We have no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine."

Al-Jazeera correspondent in Moscow, Amin Dargami, said that Putin's statements came in a recorded speech broadcast at the opening of the security forum, adding that the forum's program included a reference to the defense minister's speech only.