Putin’s New Play: “We’re Fighting the West to Make the World Fairer”
In a recent address to Asian leaders in Astana on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin spun the ongoing conflict into a grand crusade against the West. With Russia’s military fortunes faltering, he’s pivoted from blaming “fascists” in Kyiv to painting the West as a collective greed‑driven power intent on expanding its influence by arming Ukraine.
“The World Is Truly Multi‑Polar”
Putin declared that the global order is shifting toward a multipolar reality. He highlighted Asia’s emerging power centers as key players in this transformation, calling for a “revision” of the existing global financial system — which, according to him, has long favored the so‑called “golden billion.” In his view, these elite nations redirect capital and technology to themselves, leaving the rest of the world at a disadvantage.
Redefining “Golden Billion”
The term, popularized in the 1990s, suggests that Western powers collude to keep other countries, especially Russia, impoverished while mass‑producing propaganda to keep their populations docile. It underpins Putin’s goal of restoring Russia as a global superpower by standing against what he calls a “US‑led cabal.”
Counter‑Crisis & Economic Motives
While CICA members have varied agendas, they’re also a valuable market for Russia’s oil, gas, and other commodities that it finds difficult to sell to Western buyers. The coalition, which includes former Soviet republics and major economies like China, India, and several Arab and Southeast Asian nations, views Russia as a former colonial overlord, yet simultaneously benefitting from close trade ties with the West and Japan.
Astana’s Role & Diplomacy
In a recent development, Kazakh authorities refused to expel Ukraine’s ambassador following Russia’s invitation — a move Moscow deemed disrespectful towards what it calls “equal strategic partners.” Meanwhile, Kyiv and the West maintain that the conflict is an act of imperial aggression, not a threat to global stability.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has described the Ukraine war as part of a “Russian crusade” against liberal democracy, echoing the broader Western narrative that counters Putin’s ambitions.
Bottom Line
Putin’s speech in Astana is a bold attempt to rebrand Russia’s war as a moral battle for a fairer world, rallying Asia and other allies to a cause that redefines global power dynamics. Time will tell whether his vision resonates or simply stokes the conflict’s fire.
