“The West started the war. And we used force to stop it”
After failing last year in his constitutional duty to address senators and deputies of the Federal Assembly, the Russian president chose the day on which he had recognized the independence of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk a year earlier – the same as in September declare themselves annexed, along with Kherson and Zaporizia. In a speech mainly aimed at the domestic audience, Vladimir Putin presented nothing new for more than an hour and a half, except for the suspension of the only treaty in force with the US on arms control.
Putin did not hide the game of not sticking to Crimea or Donbass when he reiterated that Ukraine is “Russia’s historical territory” and that a “neo-Nazi regime” rather than a democracy prevails in Kiev. On the other hand, he stated that the “Western elites do not hide the goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia”, that is, “put an end to the Russians once and for all;” that it was the West “that started a war” and that “the aim of the West is to take Russia out of the historical areas now called Ukraine”. To which Moscow “used and continues to use force to stop it”.
“Look what they are doing to their own people. The destruction of family and cultural and national identity. Perversion, child abuse, even pedophilia, are the norm of life, and priests are required to ordain same-sex marriages.”
In other words, for the Kremlin, the invasion of a sovereign country, which it had guaranteed in the Budapest Memorandum in 1994, would not threaten, is now “Russia defends its homeland”.
Despite not going into details about the “special military operation”, Putin guaranteed that “Russia cannot be defeated on the battlefield” nor can it bring down its economy. The sanctions “have not and will not succeed”.
And if Putin favored more repression, saying that traitors “should be held accountable under the law,” the day was also marked by statements from the head of the mercenary group Wagner, who accused military leaders of “treason” by not carrying ammunition. supply to private fighters. “The Chief of Staff and the Defense Minister are giving orders left and right not only not to give Wagner ammunition, but also not to help him with air transport,” Yevgeny Prigozhin criticized in an audio message. “There is simply constant direct opposition, which is nothing less than an attempt to destroy Wagner. This can be equated with high treason,” he continued.
For months the Wagner group, using thousands of prisoners, has been attacking Bakhmut and making some progress – the greatest being the capture of neighboring Sohledar – at the cost of many casualties on both sides. Now Prigozhin laments that he was abandoned, but that he will go to the end, even if his mercenaries die “in droves”.
“The West has no intention of attacking Russia”
The president of the United States warned of “hard and bitter” days, but he returned to show his support for Ukraine, as well as for Moldova, the other country that was granted EU candidate status at the same time, and which is under is under tension due to an alleged pro-Russian coup d’état plan. In a 20-minute speech, Joe Biden defended democracies against authoritarian states and assured that Ukraine “will never be a victory for Russia,” and that the West has no intention of attacking Moscow.
Coming from a surprise trip to Kiev, where he met Volodymyr Zelensky, the American leader began by saying, “A year ago, the world feared the fall of Kiev. But let me tell you, I was there and I saw that Kiev is standing up. stands tall, stands proud and above all, stands free.”
In a speech that quoted Putin ten times, the Democrat stated that the Russian leader “should have no doubts” about supporting Kiev. “Support for Ukraine will not wane, NATO will not be divided and we will not grow tired. The democracies of the world will stand guard for freedom today, tomorrow and forever. Because that is what is at stake here: freedom. “
The US President’s trip to Poland was also marked by meetings with President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and especially Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
The intelligence services in Moldova and Ukraine had warned of a possible coup by the Kremlin, and Sandu denounced this plan a few days ago. On the other hand, the new prime minister of the small ex-Soviet state, Dorin Recean, called for the demilitarization of Transnistria, a de facto independent region, and the withdrawal of the contingent of Russian soldiers. are “tensions” with Chisinau and are warning Moldovans to act with “extreme caution”.
“President Putin’s ardent lust for land and power will fail, and the Ukrainians’ love for their country will prevail (…). The autocrats understand only one word – no, no, no. No, no, they will the my country. No, they’re not taking away my freedom. No, they’re not taking away my future.”
Biden will again meet with Duda and the other leaders of the Bucharest 9 Group, the NATO countries on Europe’s eastern flank, this Wednesday as Washington and NATO claim China is considering the possibility of arming Russia. “The concerns we have now are based on information that they are considering providing lethal support, and we have made it very clear that doing so would pose a serious problem to them for us and our relationship,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Before flying to Moscow, China’s head of diplomacy Qin Gang was “deeply concerned” about the conflict in Ukraine over the possibility of “getting out of hand”.
Source: DN
