In his iconic speech, President Putin took direct aim at the idea of the unipolar world order, taking special notice of the unconstrained use of force practiced with blatant disregard for international law, specifically by the United States, which by that time had already intervened in the Balkans and invaded Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Russian leader also sounded an alarm about NATO expansion to the east, which contradicted security guarantees given to Russia following the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. The alliance "has put its frontline forces on our borders," Putin asserted in 2007.

Source: Sputnik