Vladimir Putin threatened to attack NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) countries if any of the allies sent troops to Ukraine. The Russian President delivered a speech to the nation this Thursday, in which he admits a nuclear conflict if troops from Alliance countries enter Ukraine, a few days after French President Emmanuel Macron did not exclude the possibility of military Westerners were sent to war in Eastern Europe.
“They [os países da NATO] they are preparing to attack our territory and use the best possible and most effective forces to do so”, accused Putin. He then left a warning: “We remember the fate of those who tried to invade our territory and, evidently, their fate will be much more tragic than anything we can face.”
“They have to understand that we also have weapons. Weapons that can defeat them on their own territory and, of course, all of this is very dangerous, because it can actually trigger the use of nuclear weapons. Don’t they understand this?” asked Vladimir Putin in his address to the nation.
Vladimir Putin’s threats come after Emmanuel Macron, President of France (a member of NATO), said on Monday that “nothing should be excluded” regarding the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine. But these statements were not followed by other European leaders.
“There is no consensus to officially support troops on the ground. That said, in dynamic terms, nothing should be excluded. We will do everything we can to ensure that Russia does not prevail”, declared Macron during a meeting with European leaders in Paris called by himself.
Russia to reinforce troops on western border
Vladimir Putin’s reaction comes just over two weeks before the elections in Russia — which Putin also ran for and will win without any surprise — in front of an audience of members of the Russian Parliament, country officials, military personnel and soldiers. “The citizens of Russia will defend our freedom and independence. It only depends on you to determine our path to the future”, he advocated.
In his annual speech, the Russian President said that the “so-called West” had “colonialist tendencies” and that it “strives not only to contain” Russia’s development, but also to “destroy and use space [russo] for any purposes, including Ukraine.” “They are absolutely determined to introduce division among us and weaken us,” he denounced.
Classifying as “nonsense” the accusations that the Kremlin has plans to attack Europe, and stating that it is the West that intends to attack Russia, Vladimir Putin admitted that he will reinforce the military presence on the land border of the western military district, which makes borders with Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia and Finland.
At stake, says the Russian President, is not only the alleged threat of a Western attack on Russia — which countries like the USA have already denied, clarifying Macron’s statements — but also the fact that Finland (which shares an extensive land border with Russia, with more than 1300 kilometers) and Sweden have joined NATO.
Russia enters Robotyne, village in Zaporijjia
Regarding the war in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin stated that “it was not Russia that started the war in Donbass”, but will end it by “eradicating Nazism and fulfilling the objectives of the special military operation”: “Our units are firmly maintain the initiative. They are advancing safely in several areas and liberating more and more territory.”
One of these territories, said the Russian head of state, will be Robotyne, a village in the Zaporijjia region, in southern Ukraine. Putin stated that Russian forces entered the territory, under Ukrainian control, in the last few hours. Robotyne, remember, was once under Russian control, but was recovered by Kiev in the summer of last year.
“The military capabilities of the armed forces [russas] they have multiplied” and the troops now have two years of experience in the field, Vladimir Putin pointed out, which translates into “steady progress in several areas” of the trenches. “When the homeland defends its sovereignty and security, it protects the lives of its compatriots. The decisive role in this fair fight belongs to Russian citizens, their unity, devotion to their homeland and responsibility for their destiny,” he argued.
Putin considers increasing taxes on the richest
The Russian President also appealed to national businesspeople to invest in the country, but admitted the possibility of increasing taxes for the richest people and companies, in an adjustment to the distribution of the tax burden. “I propose thinking about approaches to modernize our tax system, for a fairer distribution of the tax burden to those who have higher personal and business incomes,” Putin said.
Asking the Government and parliamentarians to present proposals to meet these objectives, Vladimir Putin considered that “it is necessary to reduce the tax burden” on families and small and medium-sized companies — but also “to stimulate companies that invest funds in development, in the implementation of infrastructures and social projects”.