Putin calls for a stable multipolar world order

MOSCOW/KYIV — Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that bloc confrontation and the West's pursuit of unilateral security advantages lie at the heart of the current global security crisis.

Speaking at the plenary session of the 23rd annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, he warned that rhetoric seeking a "strategic defeat" of Russia carries severe risks of pushing the conflict into its most brutal phase.

Putin said the West had for years nurtured aggressive nationalism and Russophobia in Ukraine, seeking to turn the country into a geopolitical instrument against Russia. Moscow's actions were a response to tangible threats to its own security, he said.

The path out of conflict lies not in defeating one side, but in mutual compromise and a restored stable balance of forces, he said, adding that Europe must abandon bloc thinking and return to the principle of equal and indivisible security.

On world order, Putin stated the old unipolar system is collapsing and the world is becoming multipolar. Western nations must adapt to this reality and cooperate while respecting the core interests of most countries, he said.

He added that international relations require adherence not merely to written law, but also to the spirit of law, established customs and moral restraints.

Putin said Russia stands ready to work with other nations to draw a road map toward a more stable multipolar international order.

He also said on Thursday that Russia would prefer to end the conflict in Ukraine through talks and wanted Ukraine to be a neutral country after the end of hostilities.

Meanwhile, the European Commission and Ukraine said on Thursday they had identified funds to cover the country's budget and defense needs for 2026 and agreed to swiftly unlock more cash for 2027.

Kyiv has been struggling to close a $27 billion funding gap to ensure it can still conduct combat operations at the start of 2027, the country's prime minister said on Wednesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday announced the first combat use of a domestically developed FP-7 tactical ballistic missile.

"Ukrainian tactical ballistic missile. FP-7. First combat use. Thank you for the result," Zelensky wrote on X, attaching the statement to a video. Zelensky added that the missile would now move into production.

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