Vladimir Putin says "why we are conducting the special military operation" on Russia's war

At the end of August, Russian President Vladimir Putin used an Arctic image—killer whales consuming bears—to explain the rationale for Russia’s military campaign, according to Meduza. The remark fits a broader Kremlin narrative, described in a Valdai Discussion Club article and echoed by Russian officials, portraying the West as seeking to break Russia apart and treating neutral states like adversaries. Valdai, which Putin addresses and which journalists call a Kremlin foreign-policy showcase, argues this leaves Global South countries no choice but to side with Moscow. Russian officials have made comparable appeals to Armenia, Serbia, India and the UAE, the article says, though it notes Moscow has little to offer them and depends on China and Iran.