Putin slams ‘golden billion’ idea as neocolonial, racist

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Speaking at the Strong Ideas for a New Time forum on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the idea of total domination of the ‘golden billion’ is racist and neocolonial, as it splits the peoples into first and second-rate.

"The model of total domination of the so-called golden billion is unfair. Why should this ‘golden billion’ of all the population on the globe dominate over everyone and impose its own rules of behavior? Based on the illusion of exceptionalism, it [this model] divides the peoples into those of first or second-rate, and therefore it is racist and neocolonial in its essence, while the globalist, allegedly liberal ideology underlying it, is more and more acquiring the features of totalitarianism, restraining the creative search and free historical creativeness", Putin noted.

Putin believes that the West cannot offer the world a good example of the future.

"Of course, this 'golden billion' became golden for a reason. It has achieved a lot. But it not only took such positions thanks to some implemented ideas, to a large extent it took its positions by robbing other peoples: in Asia, and in Africa," the Russian head of state pointed out, "Indeed, it was like that. Look at how India has been plundered," he said.

Therefore, today the ‘golden billion’ elites are afraid that other world centers can present their global development visions, Putin added.

Accusations against Gazprom completely baseless

The Russian President commented on the EU's recent sanctions on Moscow, which cut off supply routes, and criticized the bloc's blame of its gas shortages on Gazprom.

He explained that Moscow is ready to deliver as much gas as the bloc needs if the EU stops “stepping on rakes."

“What does Gazprom have to do with it? They closed one route, the second route, put these gas pumping stations under sanctions,” he outlined when asked about the present shortage of gas in Germany.

Putin stressed Russia's continuous fulfillment of its contractual obligations, adding that accusations against Gazprom are “completely baseless” and a way Western countries use to “shift the blame for their own mistakes” onto Moscow.

Putin reiterated his previous statements about the EU’s energy policy, saying that the bloc spent the last decade neglecting the “traditional energy” sector – oil, coal, gas, and nuclear – in favor of ‘green’ projects, such as wind and solar.

“Banks do not finance, insurance companies do not insure, local authorities do not allocate land for new developments, pipelines and other transport are not developed,” he said. “You now see the result.”

Western nations are “great experts in the field of non-traditional relations,” Putin added, so they invested in “non-traditional types of energy” as well. “The winter turned out to be long. There was no wind. That's all.”