West seeking to break up Russia – ex-defense chief

Moscow’s adversaries want to sow division among its many ethnicities, Sergey Shoigu has said

The West is seeking to break Russia into dozens of small, weak states, former Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has said.

Shoigu, who currently serves as secretary of Russia’s Security Council, made the remarks in an op-ed published in Argumenty i Fakty on Tuesday, ahead of National Unity Day, which is a Russian holiday celebrated on November 4.

He warned that “adversaries falsely believe” Russia’s ethnically diverse makeup is a weakness, arguing that attempts to sow division will fail due to the strength of Russian society.

“The attacks on our history, culture, and spiritual values continue unabated, alongside attempts to undermine the harmony and brotherhood among our peoples,” Shoigu wrote.

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“Their goal is the de-sovereigntization of our country. They seek to divide our motherland into dozens of statelets,” the ex-minister added. “The West cannot grasp the essence of Russia’s inter-ethnic relations or the moral strength and unity of our multi-ethnic nation – qualities that enable us to stand resolute against destructive geopolitical methods.”

Although ethnic Russians make up around 80% of the country’s population, Russia is home to more than 100 ethnic minorities, as well as seven Muslim-majority and two Buddhist-majority regions.

Since 2022, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted several resolutions calling for the “decolonization” of Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned the move, accusing PACE of spreading “Russophobia” and “neocolonial chauvinism.”