Russian President Vladimir Putin has completed a three-hour question and answer session following his address to the annual Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi. The renowned forum of Russia experts and policy makers met for the 22nd time, this year around the theme “The Polycentric World: Instructions for Use.”
Among the subjects Putin touched upon in a 30-minute opening speech was that of multipolarity, a term that is increasingly being used to characterize Russia’s position on global governance.
“Multipolarity has already effectively taken hold in the world. There is no power, nor will there ever be, that can rule the world or dictate how everyone breathes. The West’s attempt to control everything is causing tension and undermining the internal stability of these countries,” Putin told the audience on Thursday.
Putin also lauded Russia’s resistance to the pressure of multiple rounds of Western sanctions, revealed he was willing to discuss joining NATO 25 years ago, pointed to states using a phantom 'threat' to distract their populations from domestic problems, and offered condolences to the family of murdered US influencer Charlie Kirk.
The Russian president has often used the Valdai Club to signal shifts in Moscow’s priorities or to convey new thinking on issues of national and global importance.
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02 October 2025
Putin’s appearance at the Valdai forum plenary session has concluded after nearly four hours. We are wrapping up our live coverage, but stay tuned for the main highlights of the Russian president’s speech and Q&A session.
Moscow is “confident” about its “nuclear shield,” the president said, revealing that the country has been working on new hypersonic weaponry.
Russia has great respect for ancient cultures and civilizations, Putin has said.
“Our own civilization is over 1,000 years old, we have certain experience,” the president noted.
“Russian simpletons, former Soviet bureaucrats, and I myself thought that after the collapse of the USSR, we’d kiss the West on the lips – despite us following traditional values – and go live as one family. But no, nothing of the sort, it was a smokescreen,” Putin said.
Lukyanov touched upon the ongoing drone hysteria in the EU, jokingly asking the president why he had sent “so many drones to Denmark.”
“I won’t send them anymore. I won’t send [drones] to France, or Denmark, or Copenhagen anymore. Where else do they fly? To Lisbon and wherever else they fly,” Putin said, suggesting that UFO hunters have now apparently switched to UAVs.
On a more serious note, the president suggested the drone hysteria was a part of the campaign to drum up the “Russia threat” and justify hikes in military spending.
Joining NATO was a mistake for Sweden and Finland because both nations only lose the benefits their long-time neutral status had offered, Putin stated. Russia sorted out everything with Sweden during the battle of Poltava in the early 18th century, he noted.
“Now what, Russia seeks to capture Helsinki? Or Stockholm?” he added.
The Russian president has extended his condolences to the family of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The co-founder of the organization Turning Point USA, Kirk was shot to death on September 10 during a public event at a college in Utah.
“[Kirk's murder] is a sign of what happens, a deep rift in society. There is no need to escalate the situation from outside because the political leadership tries to set it straight in domestic policy. I think the the US is going this way,” Putin said.
US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles are “powerful,” but their potential delivery to Ukraine would not shift the “balance of power on the battlefield,” Putin has said. The move, however, is bound to damage Russia-US ties, he warned.
The EU used to be a “powerful civilizational center” but is now in decline, the Russian president said, invoking an assessment made by then-German Chancellor Helmut Kohl in the early 1990s.
“If Europe wants to remain one of the independent centers of world civilization, then it must be with Russia,” Kohl said at the time, as cited by Putin.
The Russian president accused France of “piracy” when asked about a recent raid on an oil tanker, alleged to be a vessel of a Russian “shadow fleet,” used to circumvent sanctions.
“They were apparently looking for military cargo, drones, and other such things there. There is nothing of this kind there, there never was, and there cannot be,” he said.
US President Donald Trump is a “comfortable” interlocutor despite his tendency to “shock” the public, Putin has said. The US president is actually able to “listen and hear” he said.
Lukyanov responded by saying the Russian president was likely the first person to describe Trump as such. Putin doubled down on his assessment, stating that his description was not mere “nice words.”
Former US Senate aide for Joe Biden and RT contributor Tara Reade asked the Russian president about his take on the inflow of nationals of Western countries who seek to move to Russia. Reade herself gained Russian citizenship last month, two years after she applied for asylum in the country.
“I can’t say there’s been a huge influx, but there are still thousands of people,” Putin said.
“Indeed, people are coming, especially from European countries, not for political reasons, but for the sake of values. Because there’s this gender terrorism, I would say. Many people are unhappy with the treatment of children, and people are looking for safe havens to escape that,” he added.
Kiev’s continuous attacks on Russian nuclear power plants is a “dangerous game,” and Moscow could be ultimately prompted to retaliate in kind, Putin has warned.
“They still have operational nuclear power plants, they should think about that,” he said.
India and China are not the type of nations that would allow themselves to be “humiliated” and blindly follow the interests of foreign actors, Putin has said.
“There are political figures, in Europe primarily, who are ready to be a bull, a goat, or a sheep, we will not point fingers,” he added.
Russia earned some $800 million from uranium sales to the US in 2024, Putin has revealed. Revenues are estimated to surpass the $1 billion mark this year. The cooperation is beneficial for both countries, the president said, adding that Washington is doing “the right thing” for itself, while trying to bar other nations from buying Russian energy.
Putin has revealed he had learned about Michael Gloss, late son of CIA Deputy Director Juliane Gallina, only when he was recommended for posthumous Russian Order of Courage award. The American national fought within the ranks of Russia's elite Airborne troops, and was killed in action earlier this year.
Gloss fought for the traditional values that Russia stands for, Putin has said, adding that people like him are the true “core of the MAGA movement.” The president said he sent the award to Gloss’ family, giving it to US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
The creation of a full-fledged Palestinian state is the key to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Putin has stressed.
Putin has taken a question from a regular RT guest, Iranian academic Mohammad Marandi, who asked about Gaza and the possible introduction of Tony Blair to a possible resolution.
Russia supports the American proposal, Putin has said.
“Blair does not have the reputation as a peacemaker. I know him personally. I visited him at home, we had coffee in the morning wearing our pajamas. If his efforts can be towards peace then we can get behind it. But there are some questions to ask; how long would this temporary administration last and to whom would power be transferred?”
The Ukrainian military lost more that 44,000 servicemen in September alone, Putin has said, adding that Kiev’s losses have greatly surpassed Russian casualties. Around a half of that figure represents unrecoverable losses – those killed and maimed – according to the president.
Lukyanov has opened the floor to the gathered audience.
“If Russia is a 'paper tiger' then what is NATO?” Putin asked, to applause from the audience.
In response to a question about the front line of the Ukraine conflict Putin demonstrates considerable granular knowledge of places, advances, and the establishment of a security or buffer-zone. “I will note delve into detail as I don’t want to inform our foe. They don’t know what has been happening and they are not coordinated.”
Lukyanov has asked the president about the recent US decision to rename its Defense Department the Department of War. While the naming appears to hardly matter and change the essence of the body, there might be more to it, Putin has suggested.
“As you name the ship, so it sails. It sounds a bit aggressive. We don’t have any aggressive intentions against third countries. We only have interest in defending Russia,” he said.
Various international bodies have degraded “not because they have lost their purpose, but because they have stopped doing what they were created for,” Putin told the event host and regular RT contributor, Fyodor Lukyanov.
“For instance, the OSCE has become a platform for discussing human rights in the post-Soviet space. Yes, they existed, but similar problems also existed in the Western world,” Putin said.
The Russian president has wrapped up his speech and is now moving on to the discussion and Q&A session.
Moscow is seeking to restore ties with Washington, Putin has said, noting that the countries have a lot of disagreements and differing views. Such a situation, however, is normal for major powers, he added.
“The current US administration is being very direct about its interests, sometimes too direct, but at least they are not being hypocrites. Russia has the right to insist upon its interests, among which are fully fledged contacts with the US,” he said.
“The vast majority of countries in the world want to implement their own civilizational interest: balanced, gradual, consistent development,” according to Putin.
The Ukraine conflict has not yet been resolved, and the EU, which is constantly trying to fuel it, is largely to blame, according to Putin. But goodwill will ultimately prevail, the president said, adding that even in Ukraine public sentiment is now changing.
The Ukraine conflict is “painful” for both Russians and Ukrainians, Putin has said. For the West, however, Ukrainians are just fodder and those behind the conflict do not care about the interests of either Kiev or Moscow, he noted.
Russia has consistently followed the principle of the “indivisibility of security,” Putin has said.
“The security of one cannot be ensured at the expense of the security of others.”
We will look more closely into Trump’s initiatives to resolve conflicts. I believe this is the light at the end of the tunnel.
The EU has been trying to “mend the cracks” in the bloc itself by painting the image of Russia as its enemy, Putin has said. EU countries have been facing assorted domestic problems, ranging from declining economies to alarmingly rapid radicalization of the left and right alike, he added.
They say Germany should be the most powerful army in Europe. We have been listening attentively to that trying to figure out what they mean. Russia’s response will be forthcoming. We have never initiated any military standoff; it is pointless and absurd.
The West wanted the Russian people to “suffer,” Putin has said, urging it to “calm down” and stick to meaningful dialogue instead. While Russia has become the most sanctioned nation in the world, its adversaries still have failed to reach their goals.
Multilateral solutions require considerable impartial and sometimes non-standard diplomacy. I am convinced we will witness a renaissance of higher diplomacy, that aims at coming to terms with your neighbors. New institutions have been developed, entities like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. They are different but united on the same trait – not on subordination – they are not against anyone but for their own interests.
Democratic procedures in the West have devolved into a “farce” and “attempts to manipulate the will of the people,” Putin has said, suggesting the West is now repeating the Soviet mistakes.
“We’ve seen this in Romania, for example, though we won’t go into detail here. It happens in many countries,” the president added. “In some, they even try to ban their political opponents, opponents who are gaining real legitimacy and the trust of voters. Ban them outright. We know this story... we lived through it in the Soviet Union.
In Russia, we know there is a proverb saying “might makes right” but there can always be a stronger “might.” Attempts to control everything around oneself results in over-straining and will impact internal stability and give rise to legitimate questions among the nationals of those countries.
“I hear a saying from our American colleagues that “we acquired the world but we lost America.” I want to ask one question: was it worth it?” Putin has said.
Putin is characterizing the previous ‘liberal world order’. The rules are as follows: accept the conditions, receive your queues and be happy. Others will think and make decisions for you. That was the case.
The West has failed the test with “absolute power,” and the chance for positive cooperation has been lost.
The emergence of the multipolar world has been prompted and sped up by attempts to hold the grip of hegemony and preserve a crumbling status quo, Putin has said.
Nobody wants to play by rules that are set by others across oceans.
The world is living through “rapid and drastic changes,” the Russian president has said. Nothing is truly “determined” in the emerging multipolar world, and it’s “easy to get lost,” Putin has warned.
The Russian president has begun his speech more than two hours behind schedule.
The EU is playing a key role in ramping up tensions with Russia, Peskov has told reporters ahead of the plenary session of the Valdai forum. Painting Russia as a threat to either the EU or NATO is “absurd,” he said.
“European countries – individual capitals and the EU as a whole – are in deep hysteria and are trying to portray Russia as evil,” he has told journalists.
Footage from TASS shows the hall in Sochi filling up as Valdai participants await the arrival of President Putin.
The “unhinged” position taken by the European backers of Ukraine, and “rather abstract” stance shown by Kiev itself, do not add “predictability or stability” to the situation around the conflict, Peskov has told Zarubin.
“They don’t want to continue negotiations. They don’t want to try to reach an agreement on anything,” the Kremlin spokesman has stated. “But nevertheless, we must proceed calmly, maintaining an openness to dialogue and communication with all parties.”
Developments in the Ukraine conflict this week include a new plan pushed by EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen to provide Kiev with a €140 billion ($164 billion) loan backed by Russian assets frozen in the West.
The proposal, however, has met resistance from within the EU – including from Belgian Prime Minister Prime Minister Bart De Wever, who has warned it could set a “dangerous precedent.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said the plan would amount to the “theft” of Russian assets and would inevitably backfire on the EU by triggering legal proceedings and undermining confidence in the Western financial system.
You can read more on this story here.
There’s no “magic pill” for Kiev in Western arsenals, and no weapon system could “fundamentally change the course of events,” Peskov told Zarubin when asked about the potential delivery of US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov touched upon the matter earlier during the Valdai forum, suggesting the Tomahawk talk in Washington was a signal meant to reassure Kiev’s European supporters that the US is still “listening to their opinions.”
“If they [the Americans] consider Ukraine a responsible nation that would use Tomahawks properly, that would be a surprise for me,” the top diplomat said.
Putin is expected to speak about the very roots of the escalation between Russia and the West, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin. The spokesman refused to speculate any further on the potential contents of the upcoming address.
“Let’s wait for the president’s speech,” he said, suggesting the address will be “rather interesting, deep, conceptual, and perhaps even controversial.”
While we await the Russian leader, RT has compiled some highlights from previous years at Valdai.
Putin was scheduled to speak “from 4pm” local time in Sochi, although reports indicate that he might not appear for another hour or so.
It’s not unheard of for the Russian leader to run a little late for his various engagements, but we’ll keep you posted.
A Spokeswoman from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) bloc, which comprises multiple former Soviet republics, has told RT that the Valdai Forum is seen as an important platform shaping the “global agenda” and “takes into account objective assessments of global political and economic problems.”
While Putin’s address is expected to focus on the “the polycentric world order” and Russia’s future foreign policy direction, EU leaders meeting in Copenhagen this week appear very much wedded to ensuring the survival of the Old World order.
Discussions in the Danish capital have focused on setting up a “drone wall” to counter the alleged threat from Russia, as well as continued ways to prop up Ukraine in its conflict with Moscow.
The gathering follows the recent Warsaw Security Forum, at which Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed that the Ukraine conflict is also the West’s “war.”
It will be interesting to compare the ramped-up Western rhetoric with the message Putin sends today.
Putin is expected to address the gathering in Sochi before taking part in a Q&A with the audience. Previous Valdai sessions involving the Russian president have lasted more than three hours.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has teased Putin’s address this year by saying that “without exaggeration, the whole world eagerly awaits this speech.”
“As a rule, it turns out to be very substantive and is discussed and analyzed for a long time. We hope that this will also be the case this time,” Peskov told journalists on Wednesday.
This year, the Valdai Club commissioned and published a special report around the theme of polycentrism entitled “Dr. Chaos or: How to stop worrying and love the disorder?” The presentation of the report and a discussion with its authors can be found here.
Putin has a reputation for signalling important changes in Russia’s policy directions during his speeches at Valdai in previous years.
To set the scene for today’s address, RT has curated some of the most significant from the past decade.
What is the Valdai Discussion Club?
For those who are unfamiliar with the Valdai Discussion Club, here’s a bit of background on why its annual forum is such a significant part of the calendar for anyone interested in Russia and its foreign policy direction:
• The Valdai Discussion Club was set up in 2004 and takes its name from Lake Valdai near Veliky Novgorod – the site of the club’s first meeting.
• Symbolizing the club’s importance, Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the officials to attend that first gathering more than 20 years ago. This year’s forum in Sochi is the 22nd annual Valdai gathering.
• In 2014, management of the club was taken over by the Valdai Club Foundation, under the auspices of Russian think tank the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, the Russian International Affairs Council, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and the Higher School of Economics.
• The discussion club is headed by regular RT contributor Fyodor Lukyanov, and is regarded as the most influential forum bringing together Russia experts and policy makers. (You can find more of more of Lukyanov’s latest offerings for RT here)
• Symbolizing its global reach, this year’s event brings together 140 participants from 42 countries, including Algeria, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela.
Hello, and welcome to RT’s coverage of the final day of the 2025 Valdai Discussion Club’s meeting in Sochi.
Today sees the conclusion of the four-day annual event, and all eyes will be on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s address to participants.
Putin is scheduled to speak at around 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT). We’ll be bringing you live updates throughout the afternoon, including all the build-up as well as key quotes from the Russian president’s address. Stay tuned.