Russian leader’s comments on state TV channel follow first anniversary of invasion of Ukraine
Vladimir Putin has accused the west of seeking to “dismember” Russia and and to turn the vast country into a series of weak mini-states.
In an interview with the state TV channel Rossiya on Sunday, Putin claimed the US and its Nato allies wanted to “inflict a strategic defeat on us”. The aim, he said, was to “make our people suffer”, adding: “How can we ignore their nuclear capabilities in these conditions?”
Russia’s president said this alleged plot had been under way since the collapse of the USSR. “They tried to reshape the world exclusively on their terms. We had no choice but to react,” he said, adding that the west was complicit in Ukraine’s “crimes”.
If Washington got its way, Russia would be divided into Moscow, the Urals, and other disparate regions, he said, claiming there was “written proof” for his assertion.
Putin’s comments follow the first anniversary on Friday of Russia’s full-blown invasion of Ukraine. They are part of an apparent attempt to boost popular support for Moscow’s war of choice by recasting it as a necessary and defensive struggle for Russia’s national survival reminiscent of the Soviet Union’s battle against the Nazis.
The remarks come at a time when Russian troops have made local gains in Ukraine’s east but have failed to achieve a major breakthrough. Moscow’s military focus is to capture the entirety of the Donbas region, much of which remains under Kyiv’s control.
Russian tactical groups have partially encircled the city of the Bakhmut, where fighting had raged for months. They were reportedly pressing from the north and south. The only road into the centre – a key Ukrainian supply route – is under Russian artillery fire.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military dismissed claims by Russia’s Wagner mercenary group that it had captured Yahidne, a village on Bakhmut’s northern outskirts.
