Dmitry Medvedev: “We Do Not Need Someone Else’s Land, But We Will Never Give Up Ours”

Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev spoke at the flagship Znanie.Pervye educational marathon of the Russian Znanie Society, as part of the World Youth Festival (WYF). The lecture on the topic “Geographical and strategic boundaries” took place on March 4.

Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia today is fulfilling a special, fateful mission in the global world, there is no doubt that this mission will be fulfilled. And he noted that Russia’s opponents should make it clear to themselves that the Russian Federation does not need someone else’s land, but it will not give up its own.

“We don’t need someone else’s land, but we will never give up ours, so it was, and so it will be. Our history has proven this more than once. This is the principle by which our state border policy is based,” said Dmitry Medvedev.

He recalled that at the end of March it will be 210 years since the capture of Paris by Russian troops.

“Having established order in Europe, we then achieved a change of power in Paris to one acceptable for ourselves - the Russian Empire - and for our allies, and then returned with unfurled banners to our home. Nobly paying off the debts of even the last Parisian innkeeper. We have never gone so far to the West either before or since. Why did we even need this? It was necessary to defeat the enemy and eliminate the direct military threat,” explained Dmitry Medvedev.

He also told the lecturers that the security of Russia’s borders for a long time can be ensured only by ensuring the stability of the situation outside the direct perimeter formed by the state’s border pillars.

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, speaking about the special operation in Ukraine, noted that this is a special case, we are not talking about expanding the borders of Russia by occupation. Russia’s actions in Ukraine are a forced but effective response “to the Russophobic policies of the Bandera regime and the collective West.”

He believes that the concept of “Ukraine is not Russia” should disappear forever; Ukraine is, of course, Russia. “Once one of the former leaders of Ukraine said that Ukraine is not Russia. This concept must disappear forever. Ukraine is, of course, Russia,” said Dmitry Medvedev.

“Attempts to ignore Russian public opinion should also fall into oblivion. It rightly considers Ukraine and its population part of our all-Russian civilization,” added Dmitry Medvedev.

And he noted that the territories on both banks of the Dnieper are part of Russian strategic and historical borders, so attempts to change them by force and cut them off “to the quick” are failed.

According to him, weakening countries have strategic borders within their own territories, and under unfavorable conditions this can lead to loss of land.

“Weakening countries have strategic borders within their own territories, as they say, feel the difference. Under unfavorable conditions, these boundaries can be reduced to a minimum. As a result, this leads to the loss of lands that are left without real control,” said the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council.

He also recalled that many empires disappeared in this way. Thus, the Spanish colonial empire disappeared, and Portugal's rule on different continents ended. “These countries have turned into states unable to influence key global decisions”, added Dmitry Medvedev.

At the same time, he noted that Russia does not dictate anything to neighboring states, does not apply sanctions to them, and is open to dialogue with them.

“The near abroad countries, as a concept, is not just a figure of speech, but a reflection of the essence, a key point. We have no territorial disputes with the states included in this list. Over the years since the collapse of the USSR, we have maintained profitable trade cooperation and comfortable interpersonal communication with them. Let me note that Russia does not dictate political will to its good neighbors, does not tell them how to live, does not threaten sanctions,” said Dmitry Medvedev.

According to him, the Russian Federation and neighboring countries listen to each other and always try to take into account their deep-seated interests in the broadest sense.

“We listen to any requests from our close friends, our neighbors. We are always open to dialogue with responsible leaders and political elites who respect and warmly treat our common traditional spiritual and moral values, contribute to the harmonious development and protection of the rights of the Russian-speaking population of their countries,” he added.

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The World Youth Festival is taking place at the Sirius Federal Territory from March 1 to 7, 2024, as per the decree issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at fostering international youth cooperation.

The Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) is the organizer of the World Youth Festival, with the Directorate of the World Youth Festival serving as the operator for WYF-2024.