Vladimir Putin has issued one more chilling warning to the West as his brutal invasion of Ukraine attracts near its second 12 months.
The Russian chief advised throughout a New Yr’s Day go to to injured troops in Moscow that “Western international locations are serving to our enemy”.
Putin argued the West was working in opposition to “the existence of Russia” and needs to be seen as Moscow’s true “enemy.”
He mentioned: “The purpose will not be that they’re serving to our enemy.
“They’re our enemy. They’re fixing their very own issues with their palms. That’s what it’s all about.
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“This has been the case for hundreds of years, sadly, and continues to be the case as we speak.”
He additionally mentioned he didn’t take into account Ukraine to be an enemy of Russia – regardless of the continued “particular navy operation” that has ravaged swathes of the nation.
Putin continued: “Ukraine itself will not be our enemy. Those that wish to destroy Russian statehood and to realize, as they are saying, a strategic defeat of Russia on the battlefield, are primarily within the West.”
He additionally accused the West of “nurturing the Kyiv regime for fairly a very long time” and blamed allies for creating the continued warfare.
Putin warned: “Due to this fact, although it has been their purpose to take care of Russia from time immemorial, we’ll take care of them sooner, it appears.
“Those that try to destroy Russia utilizing Ukraine … That’s the drawback.”
“However they may fail: it’s merely out of the query, completely out of the query.”
Navy consultants have additionally warned that Putin might intentionally search a confrontation with the West to justify the big casualties suffered by his armed forces because the invasion of Ukraine was launched nearly two years in the past.
The Institute for The Examine of Warfare (ISW) has mentioned the Russian president can also search to conflict with NATO international locations “to set circumstances for everlasting Russian navy build-up”.
In its newest evaluation of the continued battle, the ISW warned: “Putin could also be increasing his warfare goals in Ukraine to incorporate confrontation with the West in an effort to set circumstances for everlasting Russian navy build-up and to justify excessive battlefield sacrifices.
“Russia gained nearly no significant floor in 2023 at a excessive manpower price.”
The briefing continued: “Putin’s framing of his warfare in Ukraine as a Russian battle in opposition to the West – and never Ukraine – signifies that he doesn’t intend to barter in good religion with Ukraine and is setting data circumstances geared toward convincing the West to betray Ukraine via negotiations.”
“Putin is probably going intentionally and falsely framing Ukraine as pawn with out company within the Russia-West battle to masks his expansionist and maximalist objectives of building full efficient Russian management of Ukraine.”