Vladimir Putin has delivered a combative speech reiterating his criticism of the West and saying that “blitzkrieg” sanctions against Moscow were never likely to succeed.
“If they are exceptional, then all the others are second-class,” the Russian president said of the United States. “They live in the past on their own under their own delusions.”
Friday’s speech, which the Kremlin called “extremely important,” was delayed more than an hour and a half after Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov cited “large-scale” cyberattacks on the conference’s computer systems. .
In a speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in front of much of Russia’s political and business elite, Putin tried to reassure his country that the economy was capable of overcoming the sanctions he described as ” reckless and crazy. “
“We are strong people and we can face any challenge. Like our ancestors, we will solve any problem, the whole millennial history of our country speaks of it “, he said.
Putin also said the EU had completely lost its “political sovereignty”, criticizing the bloc for introducing sanctions against Russia over alleged US orders. “European countries have dealt a severe blow to their own economies on their own,” he said.
In his speech, which lasted more than an hour, Putin tried to emphasize even more that the West was falsely linking the economic turmoil in its countries with the war in Ukraine to distract the public from the real motives of the inflation.
“We all hear about Putin’s so-called inflation in the West,” he said. “When I see this, I always think,‘ Who is this stupidity for, this stupidity? For someone who can’t read or write. ” He said uncontrolled monetary spending in the west was to blame.
Putin also accused the West, rather than Russia, of being responsible for the approaching food crisis with “leakage” of supplies. “Hunger in the poorest countries will be in the consciousness of the US administration and the Eurocrats,” he said.
The Russian leader distanced himself from talking about Russia’s war in Ukraine. In a brief mention of the invasion, Putin said that Russia was determined to continue the “special military operation” that would soon enter its fourth month.
“In the current situation, in the context of growing risks and threats to us, Russia’s decision to conduct a special military operation was forced, difficult, of course, but forced and necessary,” he said with applause. of the audience.
During the question session that followed, the Russian leader described his country’s actions in Ukraine as “absolutely legitimate.” He also joked about rumors about his health. “As Mark Twain once said, ‘The rumors about my death were very exaggerated.’
Russia has welcomed Western world leaders and executives for years at its annual economic forum in St. Petersburg, known as the “Russian Davos.” But few members of the global financial elite attended this year’s event, with Moscow isolated by sanctions for its actions in Ukraine.
“Foreign investors are not just from the United States and the European Union,” Peskov said, defending the lack of Western leaders. Some of the prominent foreign attendees were delegates from the Central African Republic and officials from Cuba, Venezuela and Myanmar, as well as members of the Taliban.
Putin’s close ally, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, with whom Putin shared the stage on Friday, attended.
Russian companies and state officials who attended the sessions praised the country’s new leadership, alleging that Russia had behaved better with sanctions than initially expected, as it faced unparalleled international isolation. precedents.
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“This is the best economic year for Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union,” said Kremlin-linked businessman Konstantin Malofeyev.
Despite the optimism expressed at the forum, Russia’s economy is expected to shrink by as much as 15% this year, and several high-profile Russian businessmen and oligarchs chose to skip the event.
Putin’s speech came amid a show of Western unity for the war in Ukraine. The EU on Friday blessed Ukraine to become a candidate to join the bloc, a day after leaders from France, Romania, Italy and Germany visited President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. On Friday evening, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, paid a surprise visit to Kyiv, offering to launch a major training operation for Ukrainian forces.