Vladimir Putin addressed State Duma deputies, Federation Council
members, heads of Russian regions and civil society representatives in
the Kremlin.
"Like a mirror, the situation in Ukraine reflects what is going on and
what has been happening in the world over the past several decades.
After the dissolution of bipolarity on the planet, we no longer
have stability. Key international institutions are not getting any
stronger; on the contrary, in many cases, they are sadly degrading. Our
western partners, led by the United States of America, prefer not to be
guided by international law in their practical policies, but by the rule
of the gun. They have come to believe in their exclusivity and
exceptionalism, that they can decide the destinies of the world, that
only they can ever be right. They act as they please: here and there,
they use force against sovereign states, building coalitions based on
the principle “If you are not with us, you are against us.” To make this
aggression look legitimate, they force the necessary resolutions from
international organisations, and if for some reason this does not work,
they simply ignore the UN Security Council and the UN overall."
