July 13 — Moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Soviet Union “committed an auto-da-fé” in its pursuit of stronger ties with the West, hoping to integrate into what was seen as the “civilized world.”
In an interview with state journalist Pavel Zarubin, Putin claimed that the dissolution of the USSR was, in part, driven by the belief that Russia would be welcomed as a full partner by the West. “The USSR essentially eliminated itself. The hope was that Russia would become part of the so-called civilized world,” he stated, as reported by Gazeta.ru.
However, Putin argued that instead of embracing Russia, Western countries chose to abandon the rules they once applied to the Soviet Union, perceiving modern Russia as weaker and more malleable. “They thought they could reshape Russia to suit their interests,” he said.
Putin added that Russia eventually realized it had to assert and protect its national interests. “Russia will either be independent and sovereign, or it will not exist at all,” the president concluded, signaling a firm stance on preserving the country’s autonomy in the face of Western pressure.
