Putin's Speech on the Centenary of Illegal Intelligence

Russia's SVR, Foreign Intelligence Service, is of great importance to Russia and is superior to the Outlaw US Empire's CIA because it doesn't waste time and assets running around the world trying to change governments, train terrorists and commit acts of terrorism. I was quite curious about the use of illegal prior to reading Putin's speech and found this article that explains is further, although Putin gives the reader an idea.

In his address, Putin expresses some ideas I haven't seen from him before, while also describing that global situation in somewhat different terms than we're accustomed to hearing. It's those new expressions that make this speech noteworthy and a must read. The following transcript is a machine translation from Russian and is mostly free from grammatical glitches that distort meaning. The emphasis provided is mine.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrades, Dear veterans!

We have gathered to mark a significant date – the centenary of domestic illegal intelligence. Then, in 1922, this area of work was actually recreated in the country, despite all the revolutionary upheavals, continuity was ensured in the area that is of fundamental importance for our state, for the security and sovereignty of the country.

I cordially congratulate everyone for whom work in this most important area has become a vocation and destiny, who for years and decades far from the Motherland, without diplomatic and other cover, defended the national interests of our country, who today conduct unique operations, transmitting the most valuable information to the Center.

Your unit has a rich history and glorious traditions. In the 1930s and early 1940s, illegal intelligence officers timely obtained information about the aggression being prepared by the Hitlerites, about the behind-the-scenes maneuvers of Western countries, which pushed the Nazis to attack the USSR, to march to the east.

After the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, illegal scouts revealed the enemy's plans, bringing the Great Victory closer. And during the Cold War, they made a huge contribution to achieving strategic parity. They provided invaluable assistance in the development of domestic industry and science. They contributed to strengthening the defense capability of the Motherland, increasing its international influence and prestige.

The names of Yakov Serebryansky and Naum Eitingon, Dmitry Bystroletov and Konon Molody, spouses Vartanyan and Alexei Botyan, other heroes of the "invisible front" forever entered the history of the country and our special services, intelligence, became models of professionalism and personal courage for present and future generations of intelligence officers.

And today, work in your direction is one of the most responsible, and the requirements placed on employees are extremely high.

The world situation remains complex and very dynamic. We have to solve non-standard tasks with many unknowns, to respond to challenges in which the uncertainty factor is great.

In this situation, the priority for the SVR and our other special services is the strategic forecasting of international processes. And such an analysis should be realistic, objective, based on reliable information and the widest range of reliable sources.

You can't, as they say, give out wishful thinking. By the way, the so-called collective West has largely fallen into such a trap and in its actions proceeds from the fact that there is no alternative to their model of liberal globalism. And this model – let's call a spade a spade – is still the same updated edition of neocolonialism, nothing else, an American world, a world for a select few, in which the rights of everyone else are simply trampled upon.

A clear confirmation of this is the fate of many countries and peoples of the Middle East, other regions of the world, and today – millions of people in Ukraine, whom the West simply cynically uses as expendable material in geopolitical games, in its attempts to "contain" Russia. By the way, what does "contain" mean? Simply prevent us from developing at the pace we need and on the basis of traditional values that we need. That's what "deterrence" is all about. What kind of deterrence is this? It's just a fight against Russia.

At the same time, the West is trying to ignore an inconvenient reality for itself – the formation of a multipolar world order. Of course, they cannot completely ignore these objective trends. But in their practical policy, they are guided by one goal – to maintain their dominance by any means.

Such dogmatism, the weight of the past, the unwillingness to face the truth inevitably increases the risk of further ill-considered, impulsive actions on the part of the West. But at the same time, this situation opens up opportunities for Russia and our like-minded people in the world – and you know that we have a lot of such like-minded people. Some are afraid, however, to raise their heads and say it out loud, but they think with us in approximately the same way, they think like us, in fact. There are many of them, these like-minded people, countries and people, peoples who want to follow their own path, based on the principles of genuine multilateralism.

Of course, a separate conversation is needed about such a model, about our vision of the future, about an agenda that would unite, not divide, humanity. And in the future, I think it is important, of course, to specifically devote one of my public speeches or some other format to this subject.

Today I want to emphasize that, in my opinion, the main thing is multipolarity. I want to emphasize that multipolarity in our understanding is, first of all, freedom. The freedom of countries and peoples, their natural right to their path of development, to preserve their identity and uniqueness. In such a model of the world order, there can be no place for dictate, templates imposed by someone, ideas of the exclusivity of individual countries or even some blocks.

I repeat: now, against the background of fundamental transformations in the world, it is important to see the overall picture of what is happening, to act proactively on this basis. And here a lot depends, of course, on you, on your work, on its quality. First of all, of course, this concerns the sphere of national security, timely receipt of information on the military and geostrategic plans of individual states and their associations that pose or may pose a direct threat to our country.

The situation in the global economy and the financial sector should be under constant attention. It is important to study the conjuncture and the main trends in the global markets, to calculate the possible consequences of those steps and decisions that affect the interests of Russia and domestic business, our integration and international projects.

As before, one of the priorities of the Foreign Intelligence Service is to assist in the industrial and technological development of our country, in strengthening its defense potential. This direction is always relevant, especially now against the background of attempts to exert sanctions pressure on Russia. By the way, and we all know this well, the Soviet Union, and even before the Soviet Union, constantly lived under these sanctions. One way or another, they always tried to restrain us.

Countering international terrorism remains among the key issues. This includes information support for Russian units stationed in Syria, the identification of ways to supply weapons and money to militants, the location of their bases, command posts and training centers.

We must not weaken our attention to the security of Russian citizens abroad, including in the Americas, in Western countries as a whole, in the Middle East and Africa. In this regard, I would like to note that in recent years the Foreign Intelligence Service has seriously strengthened its operational, information and analytical capabilities. The personnel potential of the department has grown significantly. And I am sure that you will do everything necessary to adequately fulfill all the tasks set. Like your legendary predecessors, you will work clearly, effectively and with honor to serve Russia and our people.

Once again, I congratulate you on your anniversary. I wish you, your loved ones all the best, good health and professional success.

I for one can't wait to read Putin's «separate conversation». Perhaps at the UNGA in September before the world where his words will be impossible to censor.