US threatens traditional Russian values – Putin

The actions of the US and other “unfriendly nations” – as well as transnational corporations, NGOs, and media outlets – pose a threat to traditional Russian values, President Vladimir Putin said in a decree on Wednesday.

The document calls for the preservation and protection of the values that allow the country to defend and strengthen its sovereignty, while “preserving the people of Russia and developing their human potential.”

The traditional values rooted in Russia’s cultural and historical experience have enabled the nation to effectively face new challenges and threats while keeping its identity intact, the decree said. Among the values named, are human dignity, human rights, life, patriotism, moral ideals, the traditional family, historical memory, the continuity of generations, and the unity of all peoples who live in Russia.

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The document also says that all major religions – including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism – had a “profound impact” on the development of Russia’s values, which are shared by both the religious and non-religious.

Putin’s new policy is aimed at “preserving and strengthening traditional values… through generations,” as well as “countering the spread of destructive ideologies.”

Among the ideologies that are “alien to the people of Russia,” the document lists the “cult of egoism, impunity, and amorality,” the “denial of patriotism and family values,” and LGBTQ+ propaganda.

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“The actions of extremist and terrorist organizations, certain media outlets, as well as the actions of the US and other unfriendly nations and some transnational corporations… pose a threat to traditional values,” the document states. 

According to the decree, this threat should be countered through policies targeting the youth, education reform, and support for literature, art, film, and media outlets that promote traditional values. The decree also instructs the government to work with civil society, preserve the historical memory of the peoples of Russia, and support the Russian language, both in the country and abroad.