MOSCOW, Feb 29 (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin warned Western countries on Thursday that there was a genuine risk of nuclear war if they sent their own troops to fight in Ukraine, and he said Moscow had the weapons to strike targets in the West.
Addressing parliament and other members of the country’s elite, Putin, 71, repeated his accusation that the West is bent on weakening Russia, and he suggested Western leaders did not understand how dangerous their meddling could be in what he cast as Russia’s own internal affairs.
He prefaced his warning with a specific reference to an idea, floated by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, of European NATO members sending ground troops to Ukraine – a suggestion that was quickly rejected by the United States, Germany, Britain and others.
“(Western nations) must realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Don’t they get that?!” said Putin.
Putin, who was speaking ahead of a March 15-17 presidential election when he is certain to be re-elected for another six-year term, lauded what he said was Russia’s vastly modernised nuclear arsenal, the largest in the world.
The war in Ukraine has triggered the worst crisis in Moscow’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and Putin has previously warned of the dangers of a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.
Visibly angry, Putin, Russia’s paramount leader for more than two decades, suggested Western politicians recall the fate of those, like Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler and France’s Napoleon Bonaparte who unsuccessfully invaded his country in the past.
“But now the consequences will be far more tragic,” said Putin. “They think it (war) is a cartoon,” he said.
Here are highlights from his speech, which was delivered to members of both houses of parliament, state officials, military commanders and soldiers.
WAR IN UKRAINE
“Today, when our homeland is defending its sovereignty and security and protecting the lives of our fellow countrymen in Donbas and Novorossiya (regions of Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed), the decisive role in this righteous struggle belongs to our citizens, our unity, devotion to our native country and responsibility for its fate…
“We did not start this war in Donbas. As I have said many times, we will do everything to end it, to eradicate Nazism. To fulfill all the tasks of the special military operation. To protect the sovereignty and security of our citizens.”
“The combat capabilities of the armed forces have increased multifold. Our units firmly hold the initiative (in Ukraine). They are confidently advancing in a number of operational directions, liberating new territories.”
DIALOGUE WITH WASHINGTON
“Russia is ready for dialogue with the United States of America on issues of strategic stability.”
“There have been more and more unsubstantiated accusations against Russia, for example that we are allegedly going to deploy nuclear weapons in space. Such innuendo, which is nothing but innuendo, is a ploy to draw us into negotiations on their terms, which are favourable only to the United States.”
“The words of today’s American authorities about their alleged interest in negotiations with us on strategic stability issues are demagoguery… they simply want to show their citizens and everyone else that they still rule the world.”
NATO TROOPS TO UKRAINE, RUSSIAN WESTWARD BUILDUP
“The West provoked the conflict in Ukraine, in the Middle East, in other regions of the world, and continues to lie, without any embarrassment, saying that Russia allegedly intends to attack Europe.”
“There has been talk about the possibility of sending NATO military contingents to Ukraine … the consequences for possible interventionists will be … tragic.”
“We also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Don’t they get that?”
“It is seriously necessary to strengthen the groupings (of troops) in the western strategic direction to neutralise the threats associated with the next expansion of NATO to the east: taking Sweden and Finland into the alliance.”
MISSILES, NUKES, ARMS RACE
“Strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness for guaranteed use.”
“The hypersonic dagger aircraft system has not only been put into service, but is also being used with high efficiency to hit particularly important targets in the course of the special military operation.”
“The hypersonic sea-based complex Zircon has also already been used in battle. The hypersonic units of the intercontinental range Avangard (and) the laser systems Peresvet are on combat duty. The tests of the Burevestnik unlimited-range cruise missile are being finalised. And the unmanned underwater vehicle Poseidon… The first mass-produced Sarmat heavy ballistic missiles have been delivered to the troops.”
“The West is trying to drag us into an arms race. They are trying to wear us down, to repeat the trick they succeeded (in pulling off) with the Soviet Union in the 1980s.
“Therefore, our task is to develop the defence-industrial complex … (and) the scientific, technological and industrial potential of the country.”
RUSSIA’S SYSTEM AND THE WEST
“Russia’s political system is one of the pillars of the country’s sovereignty… We will not allow anyone to interfere in our internal affairs.”
“The so-called West, with its colonial behaviour and habit of fomenting national conflicts around the world, seeks not just to hold back our development – instead of Russia, they want a dependent, declining, dying place where they can do whatever they want.”
RUSSIA’S ECONOMY
“Last year Russia’s economy grew at a rate higher than the world economy… Today, Russia is the largest economy in Europe in terms of gross domestic product in terms of purchasing power parity, and the fifth largest in the world.
“Today, the share of non-resource industries in the growth structure safely exceeds 90% … the economy is becoming more complex, more technological and therefore much more sustainable.”
POVERTY AND SOCIAL SUPPORT
“The problem of poverty is still acute, it now directly affects more than 9% of the population. And among large families…the poverty rate is more than 30%.
“We need constant work to improve quality of life of families with children (and) support the birth rate. For this purpose, we will launch a new national project called ‘Family’.
“I propose additional help to subjects of the Federation where the birth rate is below the national average… By the end of 2030 we will allocate at least 75 billion roubles ($825.56 million) to such regions.”
($1 = 90.8475 roubles)
