While Zelensky receives Western leaders in Ukraine (yesterday Joe Biden, today Giorgia Meloni), Vladimir Putin speaks to the Federal Assembly in Moscow and assures that Russia will "systematically" continue the offensive in Ukraine, which the Kremlin defines as a "special operation" .
"We will achieve our goal," guarantees the Russian president, who calls everyone together to support the military operation. «I speak at a very complex and decisive moment of radical changes that will define the future of our country and people. On each of us there is a very great responsibility to defend our country and liquidate the threat of the neo-Nazi regime ».
"It is impossible to defeat us on the battlefield," he affirms peremptorily, recalling that Moscow "produces new technologies that improve the combat readiness of the army and navy." The atomic threat is inevitable: «90% of Russia's nuclear deterrence force is equipped with advanced weapons: a level that should be extended to the entire army. We will never use nuclear weapons first, but we must be ready."
Russia, announces the "tsar", suspends the application of START, the last treaty on the reduction of nuclear weapons still in force with the USA . And he explains the decision thus: « We cannot allow American nuclear inspectors to visit our nuclear sites while Washington is intent on inflicting a strategic defeat on us. We suspend the treaty, but we do not withdraw from it .'
Putin then dwells on the reasons for the offensive in Ukraine: «We – he said – wanted a peaceful solution to avoid military intervention, but the West was playing with false cards to deceive us. Kiev not only wanted to attack Donbass, but also Crimea . We had no doubts that in February they had punitive operations ready in Donbass, where they had already carried out bombings in contradiction with the UN resolution». Not only that, Ukraine «also wanted to acquire nuclear weapons. They started the war, we use force to stop it».
The Ukrainian people, Putin underlined, "are hostage to the Nazi regime in Kiev".
Then, as expected, the harsh attack on the West: «He has prepared Ukraine for a great war, he has already spent 150 billion dollars on military aid. But the more they use long-range systems, the more we will have to keep the threat away from our borders, it is clear and natural . The goal of the West is to lead Russia to a strategic defeat, they want to eliminate us forever."
Again: « In the 1930s the West paved the way for Nazism in Germany and now it is doing the same in the Ukraine. They also support the Nazi militias, they don't care about anything, they are ready to use anyone against us ». The sanctions? "In the West they have caused the rise in prices and the loss of jobs, they are victims of their own decisions and the citizens know it".
Putin also mentions Italy in his speech: «Russia knows how to be a friend and keep its word, as demonstrated by our help to European countries, such as Italy, during the most difficult moment of the Covid pandemic , exactly as we are going help in earthquake zones.
Then a ride to curry favor with Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, in the front row to hear his speech. He condemns the «deviations of the West» and the diffusion of new gender theories: «Forgive them Lord, because they don't know what they are doing. There are even priests who approve same-sex marriages."
«We are obliged to protect our children from degradation and degeneration, from the spiritual catastrophe of the West, where the destruction of the family, of cultural and national identity, the perversion and abuse of children, up to pedophilia, are declared the norm of their lives and the priests are forced to bless same-sex marriages».
The number one in Moscow underlines that "the absolute majority of Russians support the special military operation" and claims the conquests obtained: " The Sea of Azov has once again become an internal sea of Russia. In the 4 regions under our control we will do everything to restore peace, economic and social recovery to restart businesses and jobs, we will build modern roads like in Crimea ».
Finally, the announcement: in 2024 there will be regular presidential elections and they will be held "in compliance with the law" .
The response from the White House is ready, with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan defining Putin's speech as "absurd": " No one is attacking Russia. There is a kind of absurdity in the idea that Russia is under some form of military threat from Ukraine or anyone else .'
(Unioneonline/L)