The Russian President, Vladimir Putinwarned this Thursday that the military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine had not yet started “in earnest” and challenged the Western powers that support Kiev to try to defeat Russia “on a battlefield”
“Everyone should know that we have not yet seriously started” the military operation in Ukrainesaid Putin during a meeting with the leaders of the Russian parliamentary groups, broadcast on television.
“At the same time, we do not refuse to hold peace negotiations, but those who refuse should know that it will be more difficult for them to reach an agreement with us” later on, he added.
On the other hand, Putin has pointed out that the war in Ukraine was actually caused by the Western powers, which “organized and supported an unconstitutional armed coup in Ukraine in 2014”, alluding to the Euromaidan riots.
Warn the West
In this line, Putin has regretted that West want to fight Russia on the front lines, as this is a “tragedy” for the Ukrainian people. “But it seems that everything is heading towards this,” he acknowledged.
“We currently hear that [los occidentales] they want to defeat us on a battlefield,” he said, defiantly. “What to tell them? Let them try!” he declared, accusing “the entire West” of having unleashed a “war” on Ukraine.
According to Putin, Russia’s intervention in that country marks the beginning of a turn towards a “multipolar world”.
“This process cannot be stopped,” he said.
“The collective West is the direct instigator, the culprit of what is happening today,” said the Russian leader, who nevertheless recognized the merit of these powers if their objective was “to move to a new stage in the fight against Russia “.
“If this same West wanted to provoke a conflict to move to a new stage in the fight against Russia, to a new stage in the containment of our country, then we can say that it succeeded to a certain extent (…) The war and sanctions have been introduced. Under normal conditions, it would probably be difficult to do this,” he said.
“Do not follow a model of totalitarian liberalism”
The president insisted that most countries do not want to follow the Western model of “totalitarian liberalism” or “hypocritical double standards” policies.
“In most countries, people don’t want that life or that future,” he stressed.
People “are just tired of kneeling down, humiliating themselves to those who are considered exceptional,” he said.
Finally, the Russian president has warned the Western powers that “the course of history is inexorable” and that attempts to “impose their own world order are doomed to failure.”
(With information from AFP and Europa Press)