Putin considers our country an example of "manipulation of the will of the people”

Vladimir Putin has verbally attacked, this time, the countries located to the west of Russia. At the Valdai Discussion Forum in Sochi, the Russian leader launched a series of harsh criticisms of the electoral processes in Europe, invoking the case of Romania, where he spoke about "cancelled presidential elections”, presenting them as an example of a "democratic farce” and manipulation. "You cannot manipulate the will of the people endlessly, as happened, say, in Romania”, said Putin, quoted by the TASS agency. The Kremlin leader accused the European political elite of resorting to "direct deception of their own citizens” and practices "increasingly often at the limit of the law or even beyond it”.

• Self-definition and criticism of the West

Putin insisted that he is not a "tsar”, as he is often described in the West, but a "president elected by the people for a certain term”. He recalled his political career, which began in 1999, and the constitutional changes that allow him to stay in the Kremlin until 2036, if he runs again. In parallel, the Russian leader launched an attack on NATO and the United States, rejecting accusations of Russian aggression and mocking claims that Russian drones have frequently entered the Alliance's airspace. Referring to Donald Trump's characterization - who had called Russia a "paper tiger” - Putin replied: "If we, fighting the entire NATO bloc, advance and are a paper tiger, then what is NATO?”

• Ukraine and the message for NATO

Amid the war in Ukraine, Putin claimed that Russian forces control almost the entire Luhansk province and large parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson. He presented Russia as having sufficient human and military resources, unlike Ukraine, which he accused of lack of personnel and desertions. Regarding fears of an attack on a NATO state, Putin tried to convey a reassuring message: "Calm down, sleep peacefully and mind your own business. Look at what is happening on the streets of European cities". At the same time, he warned Washington that the supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kiev would mean "a new stage of escalation" and the direct involvement of American military personnel in the conflict.

• Relations with the US and a message for Trump

Putin showed a conditional openness to resuming a pragmatic dialogue with the United States, appreciating that "great powers normally have points of disagreement". He also stressed his support for a possible plan by Donald Trump to resolve the Gaza crisis, but only if a Palestinian state is recognized. He accused the US administration of being "guided primarily by its own interests, as it understands them. I think it is a rational approach,” Putin admitted before adding: "Russia also reserves the right to be guided by its national interests. One of these, by the way, is the restoration of solid relations with the United States.” The Kremlin leader met with Donald Trump in Alaska on August 15. In a detail intended to convey a symbolic message, the Russian leader praised a 21-year-old American, the son of a CIA officer, who allegedly died fighting in Ukraine on Russia's side, presenting him as an example of sacrifice.

• Message for domestic and foreign audiences

Vladimir Putin's Valdai speech, peppered with irony towards the West and references to Romania, comes at a time when the Kremlin is trying to project the image of a Russia "on the offensive" both on the battlefield and on the international political scene. At the same time, the direct criticism of the European electoral processes and the use of Romania as an example suggest an attempt to exploit the internal political fractures in the EU, but also to counter accusations regarding the authoritarianism of his regime.