The world is becoming multipolar, but some countries are trying to “hold on to their faltering hegemony,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

He made the statement at the 51st meeting of the CIS council of officials in charge of security and special services.

“Literally before our eyes, the world is changing and is really becoming multipolar, but some members of the international community are trying at all costs to hold on to their faltering hegemony, use a wide range of political, military, economic, informational, and other methods and means that range from breaking the legal mechanisms of strategic stability to imposing unilateral sanctions against those who disagree with their policy,” the president said.

Putin said these members of the international community “don’t shy away even from outright sabotage.”

“I’m referring to the organization of explosions at the Nord Streams international gas pipelines,” he said.

Putin said “the conflict potential remains very high in the world as a whole, as well as on the regional level.”

“New risks and challenges to collective security are emerging, which is primarily the result of a sharp escalation of the global geopolitical confrontation,” the president said.

He welcomed the attendees of the meeting and said the council showed over the recent years it was a useful platform to discuss a wide range of professional issues and hammer out strategic decisions with respect to protecting individual countries and the entire CIS from domestic and external threats. Putin also said that, given all the challenges, the joint work of the security and special services of the CIS is now of special significance.

Source: Agencies