The hidden frontline: Here’s why Putin’s Valdai speech was actually a cultural manifesto
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## Sunday, October 5, 2025
### The hidden frontline: Here’s why Putin’s Valdai speech was actually a cultural manifesto
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**The hidden frontline: Here’s why Putin’s Valdai speech was actually a cultural manifesto**
**RT**
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Russian president Vladimir Putin used his address at the Valdai forum on Thursday to issue a challenge: Western liberal societies are crumbling, convulsing in moral chaos, and Russia is emerging as a sanctuary of tradition. He warned of _“gender terrorism”_ driving Europeans toward Russia, and spotlighted the televised killing of conservative American voice Charlie Kirk as evidence of the West’s internal collapse.
The Valdai stage has long been where Moscow sketches the future as it sees it. In this explainer, we break down how Putin shifted the debate from geopolitics to a values battle that he says is already reshaping the world.
In one of the most striking turns of his speech, Putin claimed that Western European societies have embarked on a campaign of gender ideology aggression – particularly targeting children – and that many people are escaping to Russia to avoid this _“terror.”_ He was explicit: _“There, ‘gender terrorism’ … in relation to children does not suit very many people, and people are seeking ‘quiet harbors’ – they come to us. With God’s blessing, we will support them.”_
That is not metaphorical exaggeration – Putin meant it literally. He asserted that Europeans are literally crossing borders to find relief from cultural and identity policies that they view as oppressive.
Moreover, Russia has already extended a hand: it introduced a _“Shared Values Visa”_ program in August 2024, allowing foreigners who share _“traditional Russian spiritual and moral values”_ to seek temporary residency under relaxed conditions. Summaries from local authorities say applications have come from Germany, Latvia, the US, Italy, France, the UK, Estonia, Cana