On June 17, 2022, the Russian president Vladimir Putin delivered a lengthy speech at the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the theme of which this year was "New Opportunities in a New World." President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also took part in the session, while Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi addressed the session via videoconference.
During his speech, Putin stressed that the era of a unipolar world order had come to an end: "This era has ended despite all the attempts to maintain and preserve it at all costs... The flaw is in the concept itself, as the concept says there is one, albeit strong, power with a limited circle of close allies, or, as they say, countries with granted access, and all business practices and international relations, when it is convenient, are interpreted solely in the interests of this power. They essentially work in one direction in a zero-sum game. A world built on a doctrine of this kind is definitely unstable."
He then added: "After declaring victory in the Cold War, the United States proclaimed itself to be God's messenger on Earth, without any obligations and only interests which were declared sacred. They seem to ignore the fact that in the past decades, new powerful and increasingly assertive centers have been formed."
According to Russian anti-liberal philosopher Alexander Dugin, Putin's speech did not reveal anything new. Yet, Dugin commented that Putin did not want to disclose too much about the "top-down revolution" happening in Russia, as a consequence of the "special operation" in Ukraine. "After all, a spy is taught... to conceal the truth," Dugin stressed.
Dugin explained that the old Russian elite is now finished, and it has been replaced by new the elites of the Novorossiya ("New Russia") era, who look toward Asia and Africa for alliances and do not want to cooperate with the West. For Dugin, Russia's invasion of Ukraine marks Russia's "liberation" from the West and its liberal ideology. "Now we are free. That is the main success," Dugin underlined, emphasizing that soon, the "mere profession of liberalism" in Russia will be enough to justify imprisonment.
(Source: Kremlin.ru)
Following are excerpts of Dugin's post:[1]
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"Putin Has Already Undertaken A Top-Down Revolution"
"Putin's speech states only some, and I would say the most obvious, consequences of the decision [that lead to] the special military operation. Everything is sustained in the spirit of realism, although the special military operation is already something much more serious. Realism in the present conditions cannot but be a theory of a multipolar world. So far, there have been only hints. But it is not difficult to deduce all the other steps.
"Everything happens strictly according to the Eurasianist scenario, only with delay and zigzags.
"On February 24, 2022, it became clear that Russia had radically changed course. Indeed, the dominant paradigm had changed in the country. You might even say the political-ideological regime. Putin has already undertaken a top-down revolution. But so far, it has not been widely discussed. Putin continues to act in the spirit of [legendary spymaster] Yuri Drozdov's[2] strategy – the main thing... is camouflage and cover.
"The elites are finished. Now there are completely new elites – the elites of the Novorossiya era, of bombing Kiev and Lvov with our missiles, of full-frontal confrontation with the West, of bringing the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions (not to mention the Donbass) into Russia. These are elites open to Asia and Africa but closed to the West.
"Soon, the mere profession of liberalism will be enough to justify imprisonment."
"The Great Purge Is Already Underway"
"But Putin didn't say all that, he just peacefully described a picture that corresponded more to March 2022. March as it should have been.
"No one expected the decision on the special military operation. And its unpredictability largely explains our successes - even if these are not complete and more successes would be desirable, but this is what we have at this moment. Real successes for which we pay a heavy price.
"Russia has been liberated from the West. Now we are free. That is the main success.
"As the elites belatedly realize this fundamental fact, they will crumble into dust like zombies. And the civilizational structure of our country and our society will be exposed. Here is the Empire, illiberalism, the patriotic alliance between right and left patriots, eschatology, and the spiritual resurrection of Russia.
"The great purge is already underway. And it will go on of its own accord. It will not be declared. Only when it has passed will Putin announce something belatedly and again in allegorical form. It is better to have a man who does not express himself clearly, but who does the right thing at a decisive moment, than an excellent orator who is incapable of doing anything. After all, a spy is taught to conceal the truth [when speaking]. Not the other way around."
