The Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Sergei Shoigu said that in the history of the country there are numerous cases when enemies have persistently tried to divide peoples in order to use them for their own purposes. The statement was made during the opening of the international festival "Peoples of Russia and the CIS", TASS reports, BTA reports.
Shoigu quoted Pushkin: "... Why should herds be given the gifts of freedom? They must be slaughtered or sheared", emphasizing that this understanding often underlies the foreign policy of Western countries, but with Russia this approach has not worked and will not work.
He added that the attempts of Western countries to divide the peoples of the Russian Federation and undermine moral and value orientations will not bring results. According to Shoigu, common traditions, unique customs, friendship and good neighborliness - what has always brought together and supported the peoples of the country - are essential and must be protected.