In one of Vladimir Putin’s most important addresses since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, the Russian president took advantage of his nation’s preeminent investment conference as an opportunity to attack his Western enemies.
After a lengthy denunciation of countries that he says want to weaken the Russian state with “reckless and insane” sanctions, President Putin used the stage of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to harass the United States.
“[The United States] they declared victory in the Cold War and later came to be regarded as God’s messengers on planet Earth, “he said.
In his 73-minute speech, he also said that Russia was taking its place in a New World Order in which the rules would be established by “strong and sovereign states.”
After sending troops to Ukraine in February, Russia suffered a wide range of international sanctions, with hundreds of foreign companies also suspending operations or withdrawing completely from the country.
But Putin said such attempts to damage the Russian economy “did not work”.
“Russian companies and government authorities worked in a composite and professional manner,” he said.
“We are normalizing the economic situation. We have stabilized the financial markets, the banking system, the trading system.”
Although the projected inflation rate in Russia has fallen marginally, Putin admitted that the current projected annual rate of 16.7% is still too high.
Putin also vehemently defended his country’s actions in Ukraine, as Russia has claimed that its neighbor posed a threat to its desire to join the NATO military alliance.
“In the current situation, in the context of growing risks and threats, Russia’s decision to conduct a special military operation was forced,” the Russian leader said, using his administration’s preferred term for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
“It was very hard to do, but it was forced and necessary. It was a decision of a sovereign country that has an unconditional right, based on the UN Charter, to defend its security.”
Despite a lengthy military operation and the rise in casualties after more than 16 weeks of fighting, Putin predicted that Russia would finally succeed in Ukraine.
A man examines the roof of a hospital damaged during the bombings in Donetsk. (AP)
“All the objectives of the special military operation will be definitively achieved,” he said.
“This is predetermined by the courage and heroism of our warriors, the consolidation of Russian society, the support of which gives strength and confidence to the Russian army and navy, the deep understanding of righteousness and historical justice. of our cause “.
“Almost state territories”
As for the territories that Russian forces have already managed to capture, including the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, Putin said Russia would “accept any of the elections” by these entities.
It has been widely speculated that the separatist territories will hold votes to join Russia, as when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
The separatist leaders of the two areas have already expressed the will of this referendum.
Russia recognized the two areas as independent states days before sending troops to Ukraine, a move that none of its allies has repeated so far.
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who sat on stage next to Putin at the St. Petersburg forum on Friday, said the Central Asian nation is unlikely to do so and called the republics self-proclaimed. of “quasi-state territories.”
Clashes in Ukraine have raised fears of a global food crisis because it has disrupted exports, especially of cereals.
Putin said Russia could “significantly increase its exports of food and fertilizers,” but expressed concern that Ukraine could use export earnings to pay for weapons it has received from other countries.
ABC / AP
Posted 13 hours, 13 hours ago, Saturday, June 18, 2022 at 3:49 AM, updated 12 hours, 12 hours ago, Saturday, June 18, 2022 at 4:01 AM