Vladimir Putin addressed the two houses of the Russian parliament this morning, two weeks before the elections in which he will be reconfirmed for another six years at the head of the Russian state, launching more accusations against the West and underlining that Ukraine is “their territory”.
“Today we will talk not only about the future, but also about the strategic objectives, the problems that need to be solved. We proved that we are ready to solve the most important challenges, we rejected the aggression of terrorism, we stopped the dismemberment of the country, we supported the desire of our brothers to be in Russia. It’s the anniversary of the legendary Russian spring (…). They want to separate us and weaken us (the West – n. ed.),” the Russian dictator said.
He said that Ukraine is Russian territory, warning Western countries not to interfere and threatening with nuclear capabilities.
“No one is allowed to interfere in our internal elections. Ukraine is our territory. Russia is fighting a fair fight for its sovereignty and security. The special military operation is supported by the absolute majority of Russians. Russia’s strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness. The West is trying to drag Russia into an arms race, to repeat the trick as in the USSR in the 1980s. The West says that Russia will attack Europe, this is nonsense. The West does not understand what is happening in Ukraine – they think that these are some kind of cartoons. We also have new weapons capable of hitting targets on your territory.”
Putin claimed that NATO is preparing to strike Russia, reiterating that this would prompt Russia to use nuclear weapons.
“NATO forces are preparing to strike our territory, using the most effective forces they have to do so. The fate of any country that attacks Russia will be more tragic than anything Russia could face. They understand that we also have weapons that could defeat them on their own soil. Any attack would lead to the use of nuclear weapons. Do they not understand this? The West considers itself supreme, but Russophobia blinds it and deprives it of reason. Without Russia there is no real peace in the world.”
“We need to strengthen our Western Military District as Finland and Sweden enter NATO. Russia is ready for dialogue with the US for strategic stability. At the same time, the United States is trying to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. US statements that it would be ready for discussions on the topic of strategic stability are just demagoguery. There are baseless accusations against Russia of attempts to place weapons in space. Our strategic forces are ready for battle. Kinjla systems are used to strike important targets. Zircon complex was also used. Tests with Burevestnik, Poseidon are about to end. We will demonstrate the ability of Sarmat missiles to fulfill their combat missions,” Putin added.
The Russian president further blamed the West for discrediting the Russian banking system, stressing on partnerships with Asian, African and Arab countries.
“We will work with our allies to build a new international monetary system. The West discredits its own banking system. Russia is developing its dialogue with Asian countries, with the African continent, we are sincere supporters of their sovereignty. We are developing relations with Arab countries, a space that shows extraordinary dynamic development.”
Putin also slammed the West for decadent moral values, while urging Russians to make more children, to stop drinking and take up sports.
“In the West moral values are destroyed. Our choice is to support the civilized values that millions of people in the world have. Russia is facing a birthrate problem, but it is a global problem. Many factors influence this decline. Russia is fighting this at all levels of government and authorities. Our religion and our moral values are important – large families must become the rule.”