Mr. Putin: Ukraine is a `vital issue` for Russia 0
(Dan Tri) – In a speech broadcast on February 18, President Vladimir Putin said developments on the battlefield in Ukraine are a `vital` issue for Russia and could determine the country’s fate.
President Vladimir Putin said developments on the battlefield in Ukraine are a matter of `survival` for Russia (Photo: AFP).
`I think it’s important for ourselves, and even more important for listeners and viewers abroad, to understand our way of thinking,` Putin said in an interview.
`For the West, everything that is happening on the Ukrainian front is just an improvement in tactical position, but for us, it is our destiny, it is a matter of survival. I want people to listen
The Russian President made the above comment while answering a question related to the 2-hour interview he gave to American host Tucker Carlson.
In that interview, Mr. Putin talked a lot about Russian history and repeatedly questioned Ukraine’s statehood, making both Kiev and the West angry.
`For Western listeners and audiences, it’s not easy. Especially for Americans,` Mr. Putin said when asked about the times he explained history in an interview with journalist Carlson.
The Kremlin has repeatedly asserted that the conflict in Ukraine is Russia’s fight for survival against what it sees as the expansion of NATO and the West close to its borders.
Estimated percentage of Ukraine’s territory is currently under Russian control, as of January, according to the US Brookings Institute (Graphic: Brookings).
Mr. Putin also used the phrase `a matter of survival` in his speech announcing the opening of a `special military operation` in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
`For the US and its allies, this is called a policy of containing Russia with clear geopolitical benefits. And for our country, this is ultimately a matter of life and death, a matter of historical future
The United Nations has strongly condemned Russia’s sending troops into Ukraine and called for an immediate end to the conflict.
In March 2022, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution requiring Russia to withdraw its troops from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine, with a vote of 141-5, including Russia, Belarus, North Korea, and Syria.
The Ukraine conflict has lasted for nearly 2 years with no signs of coming to an end.
Russia has significantly increased the scale of its defense production, including the production of artillery and armored vehicles.
Amid fluctuations in Western military aid, Ukraine also moved towards autonomously producing some necessary equipment and weapons for warfare such as UAVs, artillery shells…
