Vladimir Putin addressed the Russians and did not fail to launch new threats against the West and the consequences of sending troops to Ukraine, this Thursday, February 29 during his annual speech.
Vladimir Putin comes out of silence. The Russian president addressed his nation from the Palace of Congresses in Moscow, during his annual speech, this Thursday, February 29. A moment for the head of the Kremlin to take stock of the country’s policy and return to the conflict with Ukraine. From the start of his speech at 10 a.m. (Paris time), the president welcomed the advance of the Russian army on Ukrainian territory and declared that “the military capabilities of the (Russian) armed forces have been multiplied. They advance with confidence in several directions.
Shortly before the president’s speech, the Russian army announced that it had repelled a Ukrainian special forces commando in the south of the country and said it had killed “up to 25 servicemen”. For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that soldiers “destroyed a Ukrainian sabotage group (…) which had attempted to land aboard fast motorboats” near the Tendrivska Isthmus in the Black Sea, along the occupied part of Ukraine’s Kherson region.
Nuclear threat and response to Macron
Vladimir Putin then addressed the West, which he accused of wanting to “sow discord” in Russia. He also denounced the “decadence of the West” which, according to him, has “moral values which are destroyed”. The president also made hostile remarks when addressing the subject of NATO after the recent inclusion of Sweden in the organization on February 26. “We must strengthen our Western military district while Finland and Sweden have entered NATO” indicated the Russian president before bluntly threatening the West: “The consequences for the intruders will be more tragic, we have weapons capable of hitting targets on their territory. Vladimir Putin has renewed threats of a military escalation going so far as to estimate that a “risk of nuclear conflict” exists.
Responding to NATO’s actions and decisions, the head of the Kremlin alluded to Emmanuel Macron’s recent comments on the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine: “They talked about the possibility of sending military contingents to Ukraine Westerners (…) We remember the fate suffered by those who have already sent their contingents to the territory of our country. But today, the consequences for possible interventions will be much more tragic.” Statements made to dissuade the West from committing its troops.
Moscow really “ready for a dialogue” with Washington?
The United States is for its part accused by Vladimir Putin of “driving” Russia “into an arms race”. He also denounced the policy of the American authorities who, according to him, want to “show that they run the world as before” and are showing “demagoguery” before the presidential elections scheduled for next November. Despite these accusations and his theory that America is only ready to negotiate when it is advantageous for it, the Russian president declared himself “ready for a dialogue” with the United States on issues of ” strategic stability.
The Russian president openly addressed the United States: “Our position is clear, if you want to discuss issues of security and stability that are important for the entire planet, then it is necessary to do this only in one set , and of course including all aspects that affect our national interests, and that have an impact on the security of our country, Russia.”