Putin calls India 'a giant in the world' in rare speech, indicts West on Ukraine aid

Russian President speaks at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 6 addressed a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, and touched upon a range of issues, including Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's death, the Ukraine war, Indian leadership, and Canada's Nazi row.

The club is a Moscow-based think tank and discussion forum and was established in 2004.

Putin praised India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and backed India’s inclusion in a reformed United Nations Security Council, in a grievance-filled speech at an annual discussion forum.

Here are the highlights from Putin's keynote address:

On Indian leadership

Putin said that the Indian leadership is "self-directed" and led by the country's national interests.

"At a certain point in time, they tried to do the same with India. Now they are flirting, of course. We all understand this very well. We feel and see the situation in Asia. Everything is clear. I want to say that the Indian leadership is self-directed. It is led by the national interests," Putin said.

Putin on nuclear testing

Putin said that there is a possibility that Russia could resume nuclear testing for the first time in more than three decades and might withdraw its ratification of a landmark nuclear test ban treaty.

Responding to a question, Putin said he was not ready to declare whether or not Russia needed to resume nuclear weapons testing, saying that "theoretically we could revoke ratification" of the international nuclear test ban treaty.

Putin mentioned the Burevestnik as he said that Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable cruise missile. He said that the capabilities of the Burevestnik are unmatched.

Russia-Ukraine war

The Russian economy can cope with higher military spending to fund the war in Ukraine now and in the coming years, Putin said shrugging off the impact of Western sanctions.

Putin said that the Ukrainian economy and military power would last for "only a week" if the foreign aid stopped and also said that Europe is helping Ukraine at the expense of its own economy and people.

He said that Europe had opted to provide monetary aid to Ukraine, and in so doing had worsened its own economic fortunes and also dragged out the conflict.

On confrontation with West:

"Everyone realises that in an international system where arbitrariness reigns, anyone can be under attack simply for the reason that this or that country was not liked by the hegemon, who has lost his sense of proportion and, I would add, his sense of reality. Unfortunately, we have to admit that our counterparties in the West have lost their sense of reality," Putin said.

"Adherence to bloc approaches, the desire to drive the world into a situation of constant confrontation between 'us' and 'them' is a vicious legacy of the 20th century. It is a product of Western political culture. The West always needs an enemy."

Canada's Nazi row

Putin called the Canadian parliament's standing ovations to honour a Ukrainian war veteran who served in Nazi Waffen SS units "disgusting". He said that it showed Moscow was right to "denazify" Ukraine.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month formally apologised after the speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, Anthony Rota, praised 98-year-old ex-soldier Yaroslav Hunka in the chamber while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was present. Rota said he had made a mistake and resigned.

Putin on Wagner boss Prigozhin's death

During the address, Putin suggested that the plane crash which killed Wagner's chief in August was caused by hand grenades detonating inside the aircraft.

The private Embraer jet on which Prigozhin was travelling to St Petersburg crashed north of Moscow killing all 10 people on board on August 23, including two other top Wagner figures, Prigozhin's four bodyguards and a crew of three.

"Fragments of hand grenades were found in the bodies of those killed in the crash," Putin said.

Putin on Armenia

Armenia did not listen to Russia's recommendations on Nagorno-Karabakh, Putin said around two weeks after an Azerbaijani invasion drove ethnic Armenians who had ruled the region for more than three decades to surrender.

Putin stated that Armenia remained a Russian friend and that Moscow was ready to assist the people of Karabakh, despite the fact that the majority of the ethnic Armenian population had already fled the region.

Putin on US

Putin also accused the US of directing other countries on how to behave.
In his annual keynote speech at the Valdai Discussion Club, in Sochi, Putin targeted the US and said, "All the time, we hear 'You must', 'You have to', 'We're seriously warning you'. Who are you anyway? What right do you have to warn anyone? Maybe it’s time you yourself got rid of your arrogance and stopped behaving that way towards the world."

Putin on Ukraine joining the NATO alliance

"We have always been against this and our position has a serious basis, because NATO expanding to our borders directly threatens our security."

"NATO is, in fact, first and foremost, a tool of U.S. foreign policy."

Putin on cooperation with China:

"We will expand our interaction (with China) in the security sphere. We're not creating any blocs against anyone, but we are forced to react to what is happening around our states."

Putin on the G20

"The G20 was once created as a platform for discussing economic rather than political issues. Politicisation of the G20 is simply a sure path to its self-liquidation."

Putin on U.N. Reform

"Of course those countries must be represented in the U.N. Security Council that are acquiring great significance in international affairs and, due to their sheer power, can and do influence the way key international issues are decided. Which countries? India, Brazil, South Africa."

(With inputs from agencies such as Reuters, AP)