In his speech at the annual economic forum, Putin said that Ukraine will not survive the fighting.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin gave a fiery speech at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum on Friday.
Putin described the counter-offensive launched by Ukraine to regain the territories occupied by Russia as doomed.
The Ukrainian forces have reportedly advanced in several directions and made some progress at least in the Zaporizhia region and Bahmut.
– In my opinion, the Ukrainian armed forces have no chance here, just like in other directions. I have no doubt about this, Putin said.
Ukraine’s losses are “more than ten times compared to Russia’s”, Putin said.
– Soon Ukraine will no longer use its own fleet at all. There is nothing left of it. Everything they fight with is imported. You can’t fight like that for long.
The annual economic forum in St. Petersburg has previously gathered many international guests from the West, but now the forum has been abandoned by many countries due to the war of aggression started by Russia.
According to the news agency AFP, the Kremlin did not grant accreditation to the economic forum to AFP or to other journalists or representatives of countries it classifies as unfriendly.
Putin called Zelensky a disgrace to the Jews
Putin barked at the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky “shame on the Jews” referring to the ethnic background of the Ukrainian president. He claimed that his Jewish friends agree and that they don’t even think of Zelensky as a Jew.
Putin also wondered why no one listens to Russia’s warnings about the “neo-Nazis” in Ukraine, who, according to him, have treated the Russian-speaking residents of Ukraine harshly, and whose actions, in his opinion, can be compared to the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany.
Both the Ukrainian administration and the Ukrainian Jews have rejected these arguments, with which Putin has tried to justify his war of aggression in Ukraine, which he started last year. Several civilians die in Ukraine almost every day in Russian airstrikes.
– We will never forget (Russia’s losses in World War II). Why doesn’t anyone listen to us? Putin wondered.
Putin warned NATO not to get deeper into the war in Ukraine
In his speech, Putin warned the military alliance NATO about being drawn deeper into the war in Ukraine.
Putin said The Guardian – magazine, in his speech at the annual economic forum in St. Petersburg, that the danger of getting deeper into the war is serious.
He also said that Russia will only use nuclear weapons if the existence of the Russian state is threatened. He also claimed that Russia has more nuclear weapons than Western countries.
According to Putin, Russia could destroy parts of the center of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv if it wanted to, but has decided not to do so for many reasons. He did not elaborate on what reasons.
Source: Reuters, STT