The most challenging sentences of Vladimir Putin’s speech on the war in Ukraine and against the West

The Russian president, Vladimir Putinannounced Tuesday that he was suspending his country’s participation in the New Start nuclear disarmament treaty it signed with the United States, renewed his threats and promised to achieve his goals in Ukraine, in a speech accusing Western countries to “stir up” the conflict.

Three days before a year after the invasion, the head of the Kremlin stood still, although he admitted that these are difficult times in the field of war. Here are some of the loudest lines from his long-awaited annual State of the Union address.

“Special Operation”: “A year ago, in order to protect people in our historic lands, to ensure the security of our country, to eliminate the threat posed by the neo-Nazi regime that emerged in Ukraine after the 2014 coup, a decision was made to bring a special military operation. And step by step, carefully and consistently, we will solve the tasks before us.”

Against the West: “I want to repeat it: it was they (the West) who started the war. And we used force and are using force to stop it.”

– “One circumstance should be clear to everyone: the further Western long-range systems reach Ukraine, the more we will be forced to push the threat away from our borders. This is natural.”

– Ukraine “has become a hostage of the Kyiv regime and its Western masters, who have de facto occupied the country”.

– “The responsibility for fueling the Ukrainian conflict, for its escalation, for the number of victims (…) lies entirely with the Western elites”.

– “Western elites are not trying to hide their goals, to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia (…) They want to turn the local conflict into a global confrontation”.

Nuclear weapons: “They want to inflict a strategic defeat on us and attack our nuclear facilities, so I am forced to announce that Russia is suspending its participation in the (New) Start Treaty.”

Armed forces: “We will actively introduce the most advanced technologies that will ensure the increase of the quality potential of the Army and Navy. We have samples of weapons and equipment in each of the areas.”

– “We have a plan for the development of the armed forces and our future steps must be based on real combat experience, which is priceless.”

Economy: “The Russian economy and management system turned out to be much stronger than assumed in the West.”

– “The West has deployed against us not only the military and information front, but also the economic one. But it has not achieved and will not achieve anything.”

Dissent: “Those who have taken the path of treason (…) must be held accountable before the law.”

Investments: “Recent events have shown that the image of the West as a calm haven for capital has turned out to be false, a mirage. Russian capital, which was generated here, must work for the country, for its national development.”

Pedophilia: “Look what they do to their own people: the destruction of families, cultural and national identities, perversion and child abuse even pedophilia are declared the norm in the West.”

Source: agencies