MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. The collapse of the Soviet Union destroyed the global balance of political powers and the Western countries used it to proclaim the unipolar world order, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"The collapse of the Soviet Union destroyed the equal balance of political forces. The West felt itself to be the winner and proclaimed a unipolar world order, where only its will, culture and interests have the right to exist," the Russian president told a plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

Russian President Putin took part in a plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club on Thursday. The session’s topic was ‘A Post-Hegemonic World: Justice and Security For Everyone.’

Since the establishment of the Valdai Club in 2004, Putin has been traditionally meeting with its participants. The first conference was held in Veliky Novgorod near Lake Valdai, which gave its name to it. The club has been holding its sessions in Sochi since 2014, but for 2020, when it was held in Moscow due to the pandemic restrictions and the president addressed it online. This year’s conference will also be held in Moscow.