Russian President Vladimir Putin said during this year's meeting of the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg that Russia has the right to deliver long-range weapons to Western adversaries, but specified that Moscow does not has taken similar actions at the moment, the world agencies reported.
Putin said Russia would consider sending weapons to Western adversaries, repeating a warning he issued days ago. However, he did not specify which countries or organizations it was about, but emphasized that Moscow is not carrying out similar actions at the moment, notes the Associated Press.
"If they deliver (weapons) into the war zone and call for those weapons to be used against our territory, why shouldn't we have the right to do the same?'' he said. "But I'm not ready to say that we will do it tomorrow," the Russian president clarified.
During the plenary session of the economic forum, Putin announced that since the beginning of the year, the Russian army has captured 47 settlements in Ukraine. "Since the beginning of the year, it seems to me, 47 settlements, or 880 square kilometers, have been freed," he specified.
"The brief analysis of the constitution of Ukraine shows that the current Ukrainian authorities have lost their legitimacy. It seems that it is a matter of usurpation of power," the Russian president emphasized.
"All armed conflicts end with peace negotiations. We are ready for negotiations, but under the same conditions that we discussed first in Minsk, and then in Istanbul, and not under any invented ones," Putin was categorical. "However, even on the basis of the Istanbul Agreements, we must take into account the realities of today," he added.
Regarding the nuclear confrontation with the West, Putin said that Russia "has a nuclear doctrine that states that the use of nuclear weapons is possible in an exceptional case when the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity are threatened.
"But doctrine can be changed. The same goes for nuclear tests. If necessary, we will carry out tests, but for now there is no such need", stressed the Russian president, specifying that Russia does not need the use of nuclear weapons to achieve victory.
"...Countries that until recently were leaders in world development are trying to preserve by all means - good and bad - their hegemony, which is now slipping away from them. It is not unusual for a country or a person to try to maintain and strengthen their position. It's bad when they use dishonest means to achieve it, and it's good when they use fair means," Putin said regarding global leadership, stressing that "the United States uses its monopoly position in the world financial market, and Washington owes the world economy $54.3 trillion.
"...The authorities in the United States are just like the Luddites in England (textile manufacturers protesting, often destroying mechanized looms, declaring themselves against the changes brought about by the industrial revolution ed.) who are themselves you broke your equipment. Today's US authorities are modern day Luddites, they are destroying the instruments of their own greatness... The dollar is one of the few instruments of the greatness of the United States today. They push world economic players away from it," the Russian president noted, stressing that it is "absolutely natural for the world economy and finance to move towards the multipolar system, as the American economy shrinks and its share in the world economy decreases".
Outlining ambitious plans to develop Russia's $2 trillion economy, Putin said the world's second-largest oil exporter must cut imports, significantly increase the use of non-Western currencies in trade payments and called for a significant expansion of domestic financial markets.
"In general, Russia-friendly countries are the ones we should pay the most attention to, the countries that are developing rapidly and will determine the future of the world economy, these countries account for more than three quarters of our trade turnover", he added.
At the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Putin specified that trade with the countries of Asia is growing and that nearly 40 percent of Russian foreign trade is now carried out in rubles, while the share of trade in US dollars, euros and other Western currencies is decreasing .
The president said that Russia will seek to increase the share of payments made in the currencies of BRICS countries - an international organization that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and now other countries.
"Together with our foreign partners, we will increase the use of national currencies in foreign trade payments, we will increase the security and efficiency of these operations, including within BRICS. We are working to create an independent payment system that is protected from political pressure, abuses and external interference through sanctions.