The Russian president Vladimir Putin declared that the West has failed to sow discord in the country. “Of course, they didn’t just want to hit the Russian economy hard. Their goal was to sow discord and devastate society, demoralize people. But they miscalculated – it didn’t happen and I’m sure it won’t,” Putin said. in a meeting with the leadership of the deputies of the Duma, according to reports from the Tass news agency.
“Today we feel that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. What can we say, let them try,” he said again, adding that Russia has not yet “started anything serious” in Ukraine. “Everyone should know that, on the whole, we have not started anything yet,” the Russian president reiterated, according to reports from the Tass agency. “We do not reject peace negotiations, but those who refuse should know that the further we go, the more difficult it will be for them to negotiate with us,” he said.
In his speech, Putin then praised the politicians who “like true statesmen and patriots” who have supported the “special operation” in Ukraine from the beginning. “There are many parties, but only one motherland – he said – there is nothing more important than the destiny of the motherland”.
Finally, he again accused the West of wanting to fight “to the last Ukrainian”, a situation that is “a tragedy for the Ukrainian people”, and of wanting to wage “an economic blitzkrieg against Russia”.