Putin says international conflicts highly likely to continue as world changes

October 1, 2026 at 08:40 PM2 min

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that international conflicts were highly likely to continue as the world changed. He added that the situation would improve as Western hegemony waned, and that catastrophic scenarios had to be avoided.

Key Facts

Putin spoke at the Valdai Forum plenary session on Thursday.
Putin said the continuation of international conflicts is highly likely, citing ongoing fundamental shifts that fuel ambitions and risk-taking.
Putin stated that the world situation will gradually change for the better as Western hegemony wanes.
Putin said catastrophic scenarios must be avoided.
The day before, Russia sent a letter to NATO stating readiness to use nuclear weapons to defend Kaliningrad, which NATO strongly condemned.

Putin's Assessment

Putin made the remarks at the Valdai Forum plenary session on Thursday. He said that regardless of which scenario unfolds globally in the coming years, the continuation of international conflicts is highly likely. Putin attributed this to ongoing fundamental shifts and the opportunities they present, which fuel ambitions and a willingness to take risks for a seemingly massive payoff. He added that catastrophic scenarios had to be avoided.

Strategic Outlook

Putin expressed confidence that in the strategic perspective, as Western hegemony recedes, the world situation will gradually change for the better. He described this as a move toward a more stable, democratic, and free multipolar international order. In September, at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Putin said the multipolar world is forming with difficulties, hindered by those who divide the world into a 'blooming garden' and 'wild jungle'. He asserted that the unipolar system serving a narrow group of countries is becoming a thing of the past, with the balance of power shifting toward the global South and East.

Nuclear Threat Context

The day before, Russia sent a letter to NATO stating it was ready to use nuclear weapons to defend its Baltic enclave, the Kaliningrad region. NATO strongly condemned Russia's nuclear threat and called on the Kremlin to end its unprovoked war in Ukraine.