Moscow\u2019s adversaries want to sow division among its many ethnicities, Sergey Shoigu has said<\/p>\n
The West is seeking to break Russia into dozens of small, weak states, former Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has said.
\nShoigu, who currently serves as secretary of Russia\u2019s Security Council, made the remarks in an op-ed published in Argumenty i Fakty on Tuesday, ahead of National Unity Day, which is a Russian holiday celebrated on November 4.
\nHe warned that \u201cadversaries falsely believe\u201d\u00a0Russia\u2019s ethnically diverse makeup is a weakness, arguing that attempts to sow division will fail due to the strength of Russian society.
\n\u201cThe attacks on our history, culture, and spiritual values continue unabated, alongside attempts to undermine the harmony and brotherhood among our peoples,\u201d Shoigu wrote.<\/p>\n
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\u201cTheir goal is the de-sovereigntization of our country. They seek to divide our motherland into dozens of statelets,\u201d the ex-minister added. \u201cThe West cannot grasp the essence of Russia\u2019s inter-ethnic relations or the moral strength and unity of our multi-ethnic nation \u2013 qualities that enable us to stand resolute against destructive geopolitical methods.\u201d
\nAlthough ethnic Russians make up around 80% of the country\u2019s population, Russia is home to more than 100 ethnic minorities, as well as seven Muslim-majority and two Buddhist-majority regions.
\nSince 2022, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted several resolutions calling for the \u201cdecolonization\u201d of Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned the move, accusing PACE of spreading \u201cRussophobia\u201d and \u201cneocolonial chauvinism.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Moscow\u2019s adversaries want to sow division among its many ethnicities, Sergey Shoigu has said The West is seeking to break Russia into dozens of small, weak states, former Defense Minister…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21319,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t