Ukraine destroyed more than 7 thousand people in Avdijivka. invaders and promised the “most terrible” revenge

Events on the Ukrainian battlefield are a “matter of life and death” for Russia that could determine its fate, President Vladimir Putin said in a speech broadcast on Sunday.

The Kremlin has repeatedly framed the nearly two-year-old war as a battle for Russia’s survival, seeking to stir up patriotic sentiment among the country’s population, many of whom are apathetic about the onslaught.

“I think it is still important for us, and even more so for our listeners and viewers abroad, to understand our way of thinking,” Putin said in an interview with state television.

Reuters/Scanpix photo/Vladimir Putin

“Everything that is happening on the Ukrainian front: for them it’s about improving tactical positions, and for us it’s about our destiny, a matter of life and death,” he said.

Putin was responding to a question about a two-hour interview with US talk show host Tucker Carlson that the Kremlin used to spread its war narratives.

In that interview, V. Putin spoke in detail about Russian history and constantly questioned Ukraine’s statehood, thereby angering Kyiv and the West.

“It was not easy for the Western listener, the viewer. All the more so for the Americans,” said V. Putin, when asked about his long reflections on history during T. Carlson’s interview.

“The history of the United States spans about 300 years, and I started in 862. So I think it wasn’t easy for the American audience to understand,” he said.

The Kremlin and Putin have still not reacted to the sudden death in prison of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, despite growing accusations in the West that the Russian regime is responsible for his death.

Navalny, 47, spent three years behind bars in deteriorating conditions before prison authorities suddenly announced on Friday that he “felt ill after a walk” and died.

His death leaves Russia’s opposition without its leader just a month before elections expected to return victory to President Vladimir Putin, and amid an unprecedented crackdown on dissidents.

“Make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death,” US President Joe Biden said on Friday, echoing other leaders pointing the finger at the Kremlin.