Putin: I Follow the Path of "Peter the Great"

Russian President Vladimir Putin compared his policies to those of Russian Tsar Peter the Great, who fought against Sweden and invaded parts of its territory, as well as Finland and parts of Estonia and Latvia. During a meeting with young entrepreneurs in Moscow, Putin stated: "We just visited an exhibition dedicated to the 350th anniversary of Peter the Great's birth. It's amazing, as if nothing has changed... Peter the Great waged the Northern War for 21 years. There is a perception that by fighting Sweden, he seized something. He did not seize anything, he restored it." He continued: "When he established a new capital (Saint Petersburg), no European country recognized these lands as belonging to Russia. The whole world considered them part of Sweden." He pointed out that Slavic communities lived there alongside Finno-Ugric groups, adding: "He was about restoration and consolidation." Putin remarked: "It seems we need to restore and consolidate," referring to the Russian attack on Ukraine. The Russian president added: "Yes, there have been periods in our country's history when we had to retreat, but only to regain our strength and move forward." Sweden's defeat in the Great Northern War (1700-1721) made Russia a major power in the Baltic Sea and an important player on the European stage.