VLADIVOSTOK. Sept 3 (Interfax) - Following its withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States should realize the futility of pushing for democracy in other countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"If any peoples need democracy, the people will come to that unaided. This shouldn't be done by force. [...] Is this the end of Western hegemony? The idea is to learn these lessons correctly and to adjust the real policy. [...] If any fundamental conclusions are drawn, we may bear witness to some global transformations in world politics," Putin said at the plenary meeting of the Eastern Economic Forum on Friday, when talking about the situation in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
"Hopefully, they will realize that actions based on their previous stance, and the previous stance envisaged attempts at 'civilizing' other peoples, [...] are an erroneous policy," Putin said.