The continued support for Ukraine is aimed at inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Moscow, the president has said
FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin. © Sputnik / Sergey Bobylev
The West’s support for Ukraine is pushing Russia to the point where it cannot help but retaliate, President Vladimir Putin has said, while warning the US against deploying medium-range missiles.
Speaking at a meeting of top Defense Ministry officials on Monday, Putin accused the West of attempting to impose its own rules on the rest of the world while waging “hybrid wars” against anyone who resists, including Russia.
He singled out the US, saying that it is seeking “to weaken our country and inflict a strategic defeat” on Russia by continuing “to pump a de facto illegitimate ruling regime in Kiev with weapons and money, sending mercenaries and military advisers, thereby encouraging further escalation of the conflict.”
Washington is putting fear in Americans by resorting to “simple tactics,” Putin stated. “They push us to the red line… we begin to respond, and then they frighten their population,” he added, suggesting that the US used the same approach during its rivalry with the Soviet Union.
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This, however, does not reflect the true state of things, Putin said, pointing out that NATO is boosting its defense spending and forming “strike groups” near Russia’s borders. “The number of American service members in Europe has already exceeded 100,000 troops,” he noted.
NATO is boosting its presence not only in Europe but also in regions that have never seen this type of military footprint, particularly the Asia-Pacific, Putin said, voicing particular concerns over US plans to deploy missile systems with a range of up to 5,500km.
Putin was referring to a type of weapon previously banned by the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The US unilaterally pulled out of the treaty in 2018, citing Russian non-compliance – an allegation Moscow has denied.
The Russian president stressed that despite Washington’s withdrawal from the INF Treaty, Moscow made a unilateral and voluntary commitment not to deploy medium- and short-range missiles unless the US deploys such weapons anywhere in the world.
However, “if the United States begins to deploy such systems, then all our voluntary restrictions will be lifted,” Putin warned.