Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech this week calling out the United States and other western nations for their progressive ideology, particularly drawing attention to the issue of gender identity.
Putin said during his Thursday speech at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi that Russia should hold onto its "spiritual values and historical traditions." He added that "sociocultural disturbances" could be detrimental to the country.
Western nations in Europe and the United States, Putin warned, have allowed "the aggressive deletion of whole pages of their own history, reverse discrimination against the majority in the interests of minorities … constitute movement toward public renewal."
"It’s their right, but we are asking them to steer clear of our home," he continued. "We have a different viewpoint."
Putin also discussed how liberals in the West want to eliminate what he called "traditional interpretation of such basic values," which include designations such as "mother, father, family, and the distinction between sexes."
"The proponents of new approaches go so far as they want to eliminate the whole notions of men and women, and those who dare say that men and women exist and this is a biological fact, they are all but banished," he said. "Parent number one, parent number two, or the parent that has given birth, or instead of breast milk, you say human milk. And you say all of that, so the people who are not sure of their sexual agenda are not unhappy."
In an apparent knock against youth transgenderism, the Russian dictator said that children being taught that a "boy can become a girl" and vice versa is on "the verge of a crime against humanity."
"There are some monstrous things when from a very young age, you teach to children that the boy can easily become a girl and you impose on them this selection, this choice," Putin said. "You push the parents aside and make the child take these decisions that can destroy their lives."