At the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Vardy International Debate Club held in Sochi on October 2 local time, Putin faced representatives from 42 countries, his voice was cooler than ever before. The Russian president declared: Let the West “eat its own fruit!”
Behind Putin's tough stance is actually an unprecedented strategic crisis that Russia is experiencing.
And because of the sudden turn of Trump's policy, the Kremlin's originally well-designed chess game was completely messed up?
The Vardy International Debate Club has always been an important stage for Russia to demonstrate its diplomatic stance.Putin’s choice to make a tough speech at this time is no coincidence.
Just a month ago, Trump suddenly changed his attitude toward the Ukraine issue, from the original ambiguity to firm support.。 This change came so suddenly that it caught Russia off guard.
In retrospect, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has lasted for more than three years.
When Trump runs for election in 2024, He also voiced a strong opposition to providing military aid to Ukraine and even boasted that he could end the conflict on his first day in office.
At that time, everyone in Russia felt that Trump's return to the White House was good news for them. Sure enough, Trump fell out with Zelensky as soon as he came to power, directly interrupting U.S. aid to Ukraine.
In the run-up to Alaska’s popular Trump conference in August, Trump also announced that he would end the conflict by the end of the year.
Putin at the time was probably thinking that the new president of the United States would seem to be able to talk to himself and reach some kind of agreement that would bring Russia a decent end to the war of consumption.
No one knew that the winds were changing in September. Trump changed his stance and suddenly began to publicly support Ukraine in recovering all lost territory, and also said he would return Ukraine to its original borders.
When these words came out, not only Russia was dumbfounded, but also European allies were surprised.
What makes Putin even more unacceptable is that US Vice President Vance later revealed that the White House is considering providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to UkraineThe range and power of these missiles are sufficient to pose a serious threat to the Russian mainland.
The U.S. has begun to provide Ukraine with intelligence guidelines to fight Russian territory, which was previously unthinkable.
The reaction from the European side was even more surprising: the European Union, which was originally thought to soften under Trump’s pressure, instead showed unprecedented unity and hardness.
Not only did they continue to firmly support Ukraine, they also used the €21 billion freeze of Russian assets as a guarantee for Ukraine’s loans.
The Group of Seven is also brewing a new round of sanctions, including a complete ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports.
Russia’s fiscal revenue has dropped dramatically because of the oil price ceiling, and the consequences would be unpredictable if the gas market was cut off as well.
Putin’s announcement at the Valda Annual Conference that the Russian army is “the most combatable army in the world” sounds ridiculous, in fact more like a blow to himself.
After more than three years of warfare, Russia’s military-industrial system has taken the elbow. Financial pressure is increasing, and the economic vitality of energy exports is being squeezed a little by the West.
Their autonomous weapons systems have developed rapidly and now have the capability to fight against the European part of Russia.
Zelensky's attitude has always been firm, dismissing any peace conditions offered by Putin. He knows that the current situation is becoming more and more favorable to Ukraine.
Russia originally wanted to divide the Western coalition through Trump, the "unreasonable" president, to create a crack between the United States and Europe.
But the reality is just the opposite. The United States and Europe have now formed a new cooperation model: Europe is spending money, the United States is arms, Ukraine is fighting war.This division of labor has made the Western alliance closer and more aggressive than before.
Putin is now taking a double-track strategy, showing a tough attitude towards Europe, threatening to make them pay the price of sanctions.
For the United States, he also reserves room for negotiation, hoping to find some kind of compromise.This strategy looks very flexible and actually reflects that Russia has fallen into passivity.
At the Valdai annual meeting, Putin talked about the hypocrisy of the West, Russia's historical mission, and the inevitability of a multipolar world.But the delegates in the audience all know in their hearts that behind these grand narratives is the real dilemma that Russia is facing.
Trump’s shift from “local pursuit of reconciliation” to “promotion of negotiations” has fundamentally changed the entire international situation.
Russia has not only failed to divide the West, but has pushed them closer together. I'm afraid this result is the last thing Putin wants to see.
Today, Russia is facing Western blockade in all aspects of finance, military and energy.
Worse, Trump-style “trade-style” diplomacy could put on even tougher conditions, putting Russia in a difficult position.
Putin's tough stance at the Valdai annual meeting is not so much a threat to the West as a cheer for the domestic people and supporters. He needs to show strength and confidence, even if this confidence is increasingly difficult to maintain.
The conflict, which lasted for more than three years, has radically changed the international landscape.Russia originally wanted to its goal through rapid action, resulting in a long-lasting consumption war.
The West has stronger economic strength, more advanced technology, and more united alliances, while Russia is at a disadvantage in every way.
Putin’s threat may have some effect in the short term, but in the long run, Russia needs to find a sustainable way out.
This tough remark at Valdai's annual meeting may be Putin paving the way for future negotiations.
By showing a tough gesture, he tried to fight for a better negotiating position for himself.
The question is, how effective can "bluffing" play when your opponent has seen through your "trump card"?What do you think about Putin’s approach? welcome comments!
Source of information:
The 22nd Annual Meeting of the Russian Vardy International Debate Club (Soczi, 2 October 2025)
US White House Vice President Vance Statement on Tomahawk missile assistance (September 28, 2025)
Commission resolution on the mobilisation of €21 billion in assets frozen (15 September 2025)
Joint Communique of the Group of Seven on New Sanctions against Russia (September 20, 2025)
U.S. Department of Defense briefing on providing intelligence support to Ukraine (25 September 2025)
Official Statement of the Office of the President of Ukraine on Peace Conditions (1 October 2025)