Russia's President Vladimir Putin has delivered his highly anticipated address, while U.S. President Joe Biden prepares to give his own speech this evening from Warsaw. Biden intends to “make it clear that the U.S. will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
While Putin's speech was nearly two hours of blaming everyone except himself for the war in Ukraine, the central message and the most so-called "valuable announcement" was about Moscow suspending its participation in the New START treaty, the last remaining arms control treaty between the world's two main nuclear powers, Russia and the U.S.
"I have to announce that Russia is suspending its participation in the New START treaty," Putin said. "No one should be under the illusion that global strategic parity can be violated."
Kyiv Post has whittled down a whole host of other dubious claims into the following top five list of Putin’s pottiest assertions:
Pedophilia now "the norm" in the West
Putin, who frequently decries Western gender and sexual freedoms as an existential danger, said pedophilia has become the norm in the West.
"Look at what they do to their own people: the destruction of families, of cultural and national identities and the perversion that is child abuse all the way up to pedophilia are advertised as the norm... and priests are forced to bless same-sex marriages," Putin said.
“Traitors” in Russia must be brought to justice
Putin said that Russians who had chosen "the path of betrayal" must be brought to justice. By "traitors," he probably meant Russians who didn't support the Russian war and those who fled the country for some reason.
Russia Vetoes Nukes in Space in UN Security Council Vote, Kremlin Diplomat Says Opponents Aren’t Fair
"Those who have embarked on the path of betrayal of Russia must be held accountable under the law," Putin said, adding that authorities would not unleash a "witch hunt" against dissenters.
West “completely” responsible for escalation of Ukraine conflict
Putin blamed the West for the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, after Kyiv's allies promised to send new weapons to Ukraine.
"The responsibility for fueling the Ukrainian conflict, for its escalation, for the number of victims... lies completely with Western elites," Putin said.
Western elites are not hiding their goal to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia
Putin has also accused the West of wanting "to be done with" Russia.
"Western elites are not hiding their goal – to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. It means to be done with us once and for all," Putin said.
Putin vows to press offensive in Ukraine
Putin vowed to "systematically" press on with Moscow's offensive in Ukraine.
"Step by step, we will carefully and systematically solve the aims that face us," Putin said ahead of the first anniversary of the military intervention.
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Comments (2)
Putin's madness reminds me of the film called Mars Attacks where the Aliens come and say they com in peace and then kill everyone. and what he says is in line withe old saying "if the first guy you meet in the morning is an A-hole and everyone else is OK, then he is the A-hole. If everyone you meet is an A-hole then your the A-hole. I had until the war never gave the russians a second thought except they may be a little crazy until this invasion then you listen to this guy and his group to see they are all sneaky bastards and only in it for themselves and the expense of the world - I truly hope he is beaten and a russia that is not afraid of the west and change will grow from this
@Marc Bainbridge, Completely agree. Many Russians are indifferent or make too little fuss or are very afraid to speak out. But when the fear of speaking out is greater than your outrage at rapes, civilian targets, torture and child abductions in the Ukraine, then that too is a form of indifference. Many stories of Russians sabotaging their own railways do not reach Europe. However, this is a small percentag, most Russians just don't care enough.
Whenever Putin opens his mouth there is only lies, deception and agression. That is the reason no Western / democratic elected leader could ever talk to him again without getting smeared with hypocrisy. His obsession with the nazi theme is remarkable.
When you don't tolerate criticism for 20 years, it does something to your brain. A cure in Putin's case seems unlikely to me.
This speech is more interesting to psychiatrists than to politicians.