Western countries are openly talking about preparations for war with Russia and increasing their military budgets, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of military university graduates. According to him, the leadership of the countries of NATO and the European Union uses false statements about the alleged Russian threat as a pretext for increasing military budgets. Putin said that Russia is ready to give a quick and appropriate response to such threats, reports the Russian state agency TASS.
Putin on the progress in Ukraine and the negotiations
Putin also commented on the course of the war in Ukraine, which Russia calls a special military operation. He praised Russian forces, which he said were a key component of success.
“Russian officers and soldiers are bravely and efficiently fulfilling their tasks in the special military operation, liberating our historic land and protecting our people,” Putin said, adding that the Russian army was currently “virtually occupying” Konstantinovka in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.
He dismissed Kiev’s recent statements of readiness for negotiations, citing the attack on Starobelsk as an example. “They sent that document. They keep saying, ‘We want a face-to-face meeting.’ And then what? Three days later, Starobelsk was attacked. What are the preconditions for meetings and negotiations?” he asked. Putin was referring to a drone attack on a school dormitory in occupied Starobelsk, in which 21 people, including 18 girls and 3 young men, were killed, according to Russian sources.
According to him, appeals like Volodymyr Zelensky’s “open letter” do not create conditions for peace negotiations, but “create the potential for conflict”. He claims that Ukraine is attacking civilian infrastructure in Russia in order to destabilize society.
“What are these drones for, these attacks on civilian infrastructure? Well, to shake society. Of course, with such a huge impact, when the whole West is working for them, these drones arrive in huge numbers and create some uncertainty in the actions of the Russian armed forces,” Putin said, saying that Russia “will get where it needs to go” as part of the operation.
Accusations against the West
Putin assessed that the international situation is far from stable, highlighting the armed conflict in the Middle East and the growing potential for conflict in a number of world regions, including Eurasia.
He directed most of his criticism at Western countries.
“We see that, while NATO countries previously limited themselves to supporting the regime in Kiev, which came to power through an illegal armed coup, they are now openly talking about preparations for war with us and increasing their military offensive calculations,” he said.
The Russian president also described what he sees as the West’s pattern of action.
“The scheme of action of the so-called pseudo-democratic West is very simple: first they create threats to our country, forcing us to take necessary measures for self-defense and protection, and then they immediately accuse us of all mortal sins to justify their aggressive policies and actions against Russia,” Putin said.
Strengthening the Russian army and protecting interests
On the contrary, Putin said, Russia constantly stands for equal and indivisible security for all countries of the world, which, according to him, can only be achieved by establishing a multipolar system of international relations. He emphasized that Russia is ready to “quickly and adequately respond to all external and internal threats.”
He announced the continuation of the modernization of the Russian army.
“In line with the state’s weapons program, the nuclear triad, the ground forces and the combat potential of the Air Force and the Navy are constantly being modernized,” he said.
As an example, he stated that last year more than a thousand weapons were tested in combat conditions.
“Since the beginning of the special military operation, many types of weapons have been significantly improved. Let me give just one example: last year, more than a thousand weapons and equipment were tested in combat conditions, including drones with advanced guidance systems, stray ammunition, robotic systems for various purposes and much more,” he explained.
Putin reiterated the justification for starting the war, saying that Russia had waited and tried to negotiate for eight years, but in the end was forced to protect the people of Donbass.
“We were forced to defend the people who live there. Who consider themselves Russian or part of the Russian world. Whose mother tongue is Russian. They feel part of that history,” he said.
He ended with a message about the independence of Russian interests: “No one! No one looks at what is in the interest of our country. Because no one but us needs it.”
