National unity and patriotism have helped Moscow prevail against the West, the Russian president has said
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with winners of the Leaders of Russia competition at the Kremlin, March 12, 2024. © Sputnik / Sergei Savostyanov
National unity is Russia’s secret weapon, which has helped it prevail against the Collective West, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
The president’s remarks came during a meeting at the Kremlin with the winners of the ‘Leaders of Russia’ contest, a government initiative to develop a new generation of leadership.
“Our most important weapon is the consolidation of Russian society and the attitude towards the Motherland as demonstrated by you and those with whom you serve,” Putin said in response to a soldier from the Northern Military District, who was one of the participants in the meeting.
“It’s our most important, most powerful weapon. Those people who expected to suppress us with the help of economic sanctions, they did not take this into account; to understand this, you must be a citizen of the Russian Federation, to be part of our culture,” the president added.
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The ‘Leaders of Russia’ contest began in 2017 as part of the ‘Russia – Land of Possibilities’ project. Its goal has been to nurture a new generation of business and government leaders. It was recently expanded with the ‘Time of Heroes’ program specifically tailored to veterans of the Ukraine military operation.
The winners of the fifth season of the contest received their awards in Moscow last month. They included 102 leaders from 31 regions of Russia, as well as two foreign countries, Belgium and Serbia.
