On October 1, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a 3 hour 20 minute speech and participated in a moderated discussion at the Waldai Forum outlining five core aspects of Russia's geopolitical strategy. He framed Russian aggressions, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, as defensive measures in response to Western hostility. Putin seeks a European security order granting Russia veto power over all decisions, aiming to weaken NATO's eastern flank, politically divide the EU, and reassert Russian dominance in Central and Eastern Europe. He demands a neutral Ukraine without NATO, EU membership, or Western orientation, desiring lasting territorial and political control to subordinate Ukraine to Russian interests. Putin warns that NATO's defense of the Baltic states would necessitate neutralizing military assets in the highly militarized Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, portraying such defensive moves as aggressive provocations to deter Western countermeasures by raising fears of escalation including nuclear use. He presents Russia's economy not as aimed at improving citizen welfare but as a geopolitical weapon against Europe and a resource sustaining his regime. Overall, Putin's strategy seeks to justify Russian expansionism and aggression as defensive, fostering a new European order under Moscow's hegemonic control.

On October 1, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a 3 hour 20 minute speech and participated in a moderated discussion at the Waldai Forum outlining five core aspects of Russia's geopolitical strategy. He framed Russian aggressions, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, as defensive measures in response to Western hostility. Putin seeks a European security order granting Russia veto power over all decisions, aiming to weaken NATO's eastern flank, politically divide the EU, and reassert Russian dominance in Central and Eastern Europe. He demands a neutral Ukraine without NATO, EU membership, or Western orientation, desiring lasting territorial and political control to subordinate Ukraine to Russian interests. Putin warns that NATO's defense of the Baltic states would necessitate neutralizing military assets in the highly militarized Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, portraying such defensive moves as aggressive provocations to deter Western countermeasures by raising fears of escalation including nuclear use. He presents Russia's economy not as aimed at improving citizen welfare but as a geopolitical weapon against Europe and a resource sustaining his regime. Overall, Putin's strategy seeks to justify Russian expansionism and aggression as defensive, fostering a new European order under Moscow's hegemonic control.