SOCHI, October 5. /TASS/. Some countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union mistook Russia's readiness for constructive interaction for submission, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the Valdai discussion club.
He drew attention to the fact that after the collapse of the Soviet Union Russia with "all its energy and goodwill" joined "the processes of building a new, as it seemed, more just world order." "The good thing is that our country is capable of making a huge contribution to them," Putin noted.
"Regrettably, our readiness for constructive interaction has been misunderstood by some. It was mistaken for submissiveness, for consent that the new order will be built by those who had proclaimed themselves winners in the Cold War. In fact, as a recognition that Russia was ready to follow someone else's guidelines," Putin pointed out.
He recalled that 20 years ago, when the first Valdai Club meeting took place, the country was "entering a new stage of its development." Russia had just overcome "the most difficult period of recovery after the collapse of the Soviet Union."
"At the beginning of the 21st century everyone hoped that nations and peoples had learned the lessons of the costly and destructive military and ideological confrontation of last century, realized its harmfulness, felt the fragility and interconnectedness of our planet, and became convinced that the global problems of humankind require joint action and collective solutions".
He noted that selfishness and neglect of challenges would inevitably lead the world to a dead end. The same is true of the "attempts by the stronger ones to impose their own opinions and interests on everyone else."
"This should have become obvious to one and all, but it has happened otherwise," Putin said.