Putin: “Tests on nuclear weapons if the US does them first” – World

“The West’s goal is to lead Russia to a strategic defeat, they want to eliminate us forever. They don’t realize that Russia’s very existence is at stake” but we “we will achieve our goals”. Vladimir Putin speaks for an hour and 45 minutes at the Federal Assembly in Moscow and takes stock of the war in Ukraine and the economic and social situation in Russia. “I speak at a very complex and decisive moment of radical changes that will define the future of our country and people,” adds the Russian president. And Putin also mentions Italy: “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 pandemicexactly as we are going to help in the earthquake zones”.

Russia “suspends” implementation of START, the latest nuclear arms reduction treaty still in force with the US, because it cannot allow American inspectors to visit Russian nuclear sites while Washington is intent on inflicting “a strategic defeat” on Moscow. President Putin said. “We are suspending the treaty, but we are not withdrawing from it,” Putin stressed.

Russia is ready to carry out nuclear weapons tests if the United States does them firstPutin said. “We know that some in Washington are considering testing nuclear weapons. The US is developing new types of nuclear munitions.” So, Putin added, the Russian Defense Ministry and Rosatom must be ready to do similar tests. “Of course we won’t be the first to do them – he underlined – but if the US does the tests, we’ll do them too”.

THE REACTIONS The speech of the Russian president determines the US reaction. “No one is attacking Russia. There is sort of absurdity in the idea that Russia is under some form of military threat by Ukraine or anyone else,” White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters.
“One year after the start of the invasion we see no sign of Putin preparing for peace. On the contrary, he is preparing for a new war, preparing more troops and has made contact with North Korea and Iran for weapons. ” He said that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a press conference with the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell and the Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba. “No one has attacked Russia, they are the aggressors. The responsibility for the escalation of the war”, added Stoltenberg, “lies with Putin”. “Putin is increasing his military capacity, he doesn’t want peace but war. That’s why we need to increase our support for Ukraine. If Putin wins, everyone will be in danger. Russia has decided to invade Ukraine and Ukraine has the right to defend it and we have the right to support it. We will send more advanced weapons “to Kiev. He said Stoltenberg underlining that, with the EU, they are discussing increasing the production of military instruments and ammunition “also through joint procurement”.

THE MILITARY FORCE “Russia’s nuclear deterrence force is 90 percent equipped with advanced weapons: a level that should be extended to the entire army”. underlines é Putin. “It is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield” e “the more they use long-range systems, the more we will have to keep the threat away from our bordersit is clear and natural. The West’s goal is to lead Russia to a strategic defeat, they want to eliminate us forever. They don’t realize that Russia’s very existence is at stake.”, continues the Russian leader. According to Putim, Russia wanted a peaceful solution in Ukraine to avoid military intervention, but the West was playing “with false cards” to deceive Moscow. “Russia is producing new technologies that “improve the combat readiness of the army and navy.” The president said in his State of the Nation address. “These technologies exist, and the pace of their production and application is improving.”

UKRAINE Ukraine “wanted to acquire nuclear weapons We had no doubts that in February they had punitive operations ready in the Donbass, where they had already carried out bombings and this was in contradiction with the UN resolution. They started war, we use force to stop war. “Kiev not only wanted to attack Donbass, but also Crimea.” “The West has prepared Ukraine for a big war and today it recognizes it. The West has already spent 150 billion dollars on military aid to Ukraine, the flow of money does not decrease.” “Ukrainian people are held hostage by the Nazi regime in Kiev”. “We are not at war with the people of Ukraine”: Putin said. The head of the Kremlin accused Kiev and its Western protectors to have “occupied the country politically, militarily and economically”after claiming that the Kiev regime is “holding its people hostage”.

THE WEST

“Nn the 1930s the West paved the way for Nazism in Germany and “now does the same in Ukraine”. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in front of the Parliament. Putin accused the West of also supporting Nazi militias in Ukraine, because Westerners “don’t care about anything, and are ready to use anyone” against Russia. “Forgive them Lord, for they do not know what they are doing…”. Russian President Vladimir Putin said this when speaking of the spread of new gender theories in the West. “There are also priests who approve of same-sex marriages,” she added. “We are obligated to protect our children and we will. We will protect our children from degradation and degeneration”: Vladimir Putin said this in his speech to the Federal Assembly, denouncing the “spiritual catastrophe in the West”, where “the destruction of the family, of cultural and national identity, the perversion and abuse of children, up to paedophilia, are declared the norm of their life, and priests are forced to bless same-sex marriages”.

THE ECONOMY

“The Russian economy has overcome all risks,” he said underlining among other things that in 2022 the drop in GDP was 2.1% compared to the much worse forecasts of March 2022, after the start of the military operation in Ukraine. “We have everything to guarantee the security and development of the country”, he added. “The strategic objective is to take our economy to new borders, it is a moment of challenges and possibilities, our life depends on how we will achieve them”. “We will expand economic cooperation with other countries and we will build new logistics corridors”. “Thanks to Russia’s good balance of payments, we don’t need to bow down and beg for money abroad“. The Russian Federation has allocated over a trillion rubles to support its economy to counter (Western) sanctions: funds that will be raised not with (securities) issues but with a strong contribution from the market: the Russian president declared Vladimir Putin speaking to parliament, quoted by Tass The head of the Kremlin added that many industries in the last year have not only not decreased their production, but have actually increased itand that agriculture has also shown double-digit growth”. “Today to these 4 regions” of Ukraine (ed) “under our direct support I want to say that we are now with you, we will do everything to ensure that peace, social and economic recovery returns to our territories to restart businesses and work and we will build modern roads like in the Crimea”. “Whoever brought the funds abroad was looted, robbed, lost everything, they were certainly legally held resources. I will add a simple detail: none of the simple citizens of the country feel sorry for those who have lost their capital abroad, for those who have bought yachts and now have their funds blocked”, Putin said adding that “for the West they are citizens of second class”. “But there is a second choice: to work for one’s country and these entrepreneurs are many and here is the future of business”. “Instead of producing technology and creating jobs in Russia, big businessmen were investing in yachts abroad.”. A harsh attack on the oligarchs who have enriched themselves since the privatization season of the 1990s, when state companies were sold for “almost for nothing”. Referring to the seizures of yachts and other assets of Russian oligarchs abroad, Putin added: “None of the ordinary citizens feel sorry for those who have lost their capital, yachts and mansions abroad“. “Do not beg (the West) to get your money back – Putin insisted -, Do not invest abroad but in Russia. The state and society will support you.”

THE INTERNAL FRONT

“The absolute majority of Russians expressed their support for the special military operation”he said underlining that “the Sea of ​​Azov has ‘returned to being an internal sea of ​​Russia.’ The West has not only unleashed military and cyber warfare and failed to achieve anything and will achieve nothing. Then he imposed sanctions on us that caused price increases and job losses, they are victims of their own decisions and citizens know it“. “The elections in September and the presidential elections in 2024 will be held within the law“. “In the defense of Russia we all must coordinate our forces and rights to uphold the supreme and historical right: Russia’s right to be strong“. “Russia was handed over to us by our ancestors, and we must preserve it and pass it on” to future generations. There is a tremendous responsibility upon each of us to defend our country and liquidate the threat of the neo-Nazi regime. “The anti-Russian sanctions are only a means, while the goal is, as Western leaders themselves declare, I quote directly: ‘to make our citizens suffer'”. “That’s what kind of ‘humanists’ they are,” Putin continued. “They want to make people suffer in order to destabilize our society from within. But their calculations have not paid off.” “Russia will respond to any challenge. Because we are all one country. We are one great united people. We are confident in our power. The truth is with us. Thank you.” So Russian President Vladimir Putin closed his speech to the federal assembly after about 1 hour and 45 minutes.