President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia mentioned the West confronted the prospect of nuclear battle if it intervened extra immediately within the struggle in Ukraine, utilizing an annual speech to the nation on Thursday to escalate his threats in opposition to Europe and the US.
Mr. Putin mentioned Western nations that have been serving to Ukraine strike Russian territory “should, ultimately, perceive” that “all this actually threatens a battle with the usage of nuclear weapons, and subsequently the destruction of civilization.”
“We even have weapons that may strike targets on their territory,” Mr. Putin mentioned. “Do they not perceive this?”
The Russian chief cited feedback by President Emmanuel Macron of France this week elevating the potential for sending troops from NATO nations to Ukraine, a situation the Kremlin mentioned would result in the “inevitability” of a direct battle between Russia and the Western alliance.
The US and different Western governments have largely tried to distance themselves from Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, and Mr. Macron’s remarks about the potential for Western troops being despatched to Ukraine drew fast rebukes from different Western officers, who’ve dominated out such deployments.
Mr. Putin, nonetheless, considers Russian-occupied Ukraine to be Russian territory, and he seized on Mr. Macron’s remarks to amplify his risk. “We bear in mind the destiny of those that as soon as despatched their contingents to the territory of our nation,” Mr. Putin mentioned, an obvious reference to the invasions of Hitler and Napoleon. “However now the results for potential interventionists can be way more tragic.”
Mr. Putin’s threats on Thursday got here within the opening minutes of his annual state-of-the-nation speech, a keystone occasion within the Kremlin calendar through which the president declares his plans and priorities in a televised deal with to lots of of officers, lawmakers and different members of Russia’s ruling elite.
This 12 months, the speech took on added significance due to Russia’s presidential elections, scheduled for March 15-17, through which Mr. Putin is working for an additional six-year time period. He’s assured of successful, however the Kremlin has mounted a concerted publicity marketing campaign forward of the vote, searching for to make use of it as a stamp of public approval for Mr. Putin’s rule, and by extension, his struggle.
The speech got here at a geopolitically delicate time: Greater than two years into the struggle, Russia has taken the initiative on the battlefield, navy help is stalled within the U.S. Congress, and Western governments are at odds over how finest to assist Ukraine.
At dwelling, Mr. Putin is exhibiting no signal of slowing his crackdown on the opposition, which suffered a crushing blow with the loss of life of its imprisoned chief, Aleksei A. Navalny.
“Russia’s political system is without doubt one of the foundations of the nation’s sovereignty,” Mr. Putin mentioned in his speech, suggesting he would proceed to stifle what he casts as Western-organized dissent. “We won’t let anybody intrude in our home affairs.”
Mr. Putin has repeatedly made veiled nuclear threats in opposition to the West since he launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years in the past, searching for to leverage Russia’s huge nuclear arsenal to discourage Europe and the US from supporting Ukraine.
He had appeared to dial down that rhetoric previously 12 months. However on Thursday, he returned to it, coupling his threats with a declare that he was able to resume arms-control negotiations with the US — however solely, he instructed, if Washington was prepared to debate the struggle in Ukraine as effectively.
“Russia is prepared for a dialogue with the US on issues of strategic stability,” Mr. Putin mentioned, a reference to arms-control talks with Washington that had been briefly underway earlier than Russia’s invasion.
In an obvious reference to Ukraine, Mr. Putin added: “This should, naturally, be finished solely as a single complicated, together with all these points that have an effect on the safety of our nation.”
The White Home, for its half, has rebuffed Mr. Putin’s efforts to place the US on the middle of any negotiations concerning the struggle in Ukraine. American officers have mentioned that the US has not and won’t negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.
Mr. Putin’s threats in opposition to the West took up only some minutes of a speech that lasted greater than two hours. A lot of the deal with centered on bread-and-butter home points like highways, well being care, power infrastructure and training.
However Mr. Putin framed all these home priorities as being contingent on the success of his invasion of Ukraine, which the Kremlin refers to because the “particular navy operation.” He provided no new particulars on the struggle’s targets or the way it would possibly finish, saying solely that Russia aimed to “root out Nazism” — a reference to his frequent, false claims about Ukraine being run by “Nazis.”
“I’ll underline an important factor,” Mr. Putin mentioned on the finish of his speech. “The success of all of the focused plans right this moment relies upon immediately on our troopers, officers, volunteers — all of the navy personnel combating proper now on the entrance.”
It was a sign that Mr. Putin intends to make use of his March re-election to painting Russia as dedicated to the struggle, with the overwhelming majority of the general public behind it. Mr. Putin described the struggle’s troopers and supporters as Russia’s “true elite,” and unveiled a coaching program and different measures meant to raise veterans to administration positions in civilian life.
“They need to tackle main roles within the training system, the upbringing of the youth, and in public associations, state corporations, enterprise and state and native governance,” Mr. Putin mentioned, referring to veterans of his Ukraine invasion. “They need to head areas, corporations and, finally, the most important home tasks.”
