Moscow, 27 October 2022 (dpa/MIA) — Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of trying to force its social model on the rest of the world in an appearance Thursday at a think tank closely linked to the Kremlin. "The West claims that their values and world view are supposedly universal - at least that is how they behave," Putin said at the Valdai Discussion Club. The Kremlin boss called for freedom for other cultures and political points of view. In Russia itself, meanwhile, the political opposition and media critical of the Kremlin have been almost completely eliminated by government crackdowns. In his speech on Thursday, Putin sought to increase the antagonisms between East and the West. Putin accused the West of patronizing other regions of the world, especially Asia. At the same time, Putin also claimed that a multipolar world represents Europe's last chance to return to geopolitical relevance and escape the hegemony of the United States.