At 10:05 Norwegian time, the Russian president started his annual address to the nation. Putin used the entire start of the speech to justify why it was necessary to launch the attack on Ukraine on February 24 last year, which he himself still calls a special military operation. He said that the goal of Ukraine and the West was not only to take control of Donbas, but also Crimea and the naval base of Sevastopol, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The entire Russian elite gathered in the Manezje near the Kremlin on Tuesday to hear President Vladimir Putin’s address to the nation. Photo: SPUTNIK / Reuters – Ukraine has now become a hostage to Western interests, Putin said. He said that the West’s support, not least with weapons, has contributed to escalating the conflict. He also said that what is happening now is a threat to Russia’s entire existence as an independent state. Putin thanked the Russian people for supporting the “special operation”, and he promised a separate fund to support those affected by the war. – All families of killed military personnel must have their own coordinator who helps them, Putin promised. He also said that the further development and training of the military forces must learn from the experiences of the “special operation”. It is expected that the speech will last far beyond the hour set by the state-controlled Russian TV channels. Vladimir Putin will address the Russian people at 10 Norwegian time on Tuesday. Photo: Sergey Guneev / AP The Interfax news agency writes that correspondents and journalists from what are defined as unfriendly countries are not invited or accredited to the press conference. This applies, among other things, to news and most other correspondents from European countries. According to press spokesman Peskov, they of course have the opportunity to follow the speech via TV channels. Ukraine: On its knees, but not beaten Successful special operation? When Putin announced on February 24, 2022 that he had ordered what he called “a special military operation” to remove what he called a neo-Nazi regime in Ukraine and at the same time free the oppressed Russian-speaking residents of the country, he probably expected this to be over within a few weeks. A year later, and with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians killed, this goal is far from being achieved. Russia’s attack on Ukraine has caused enormous destruction and displaced many millions of people. Nevertheless, it is expected that Putin will say in his speech that the “special operation” is successful, because Russia has occupied large parts of the eastern and southern part of Ukraine, and now controls a land connection to the Krym peninsula, which Russia annexed already in 2014. On the other hand, it is not expected that he will talk about the enormous losses the Russian army has suffered, in the form of killed soldiers and lost equipment. Ukraine’s “trophy weapon”: Formerly Russian He is rather unlikely to talk about the sinking of the cruiser Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, or the humiliating withdrawal of Kherson, the only regional capital that Russian forces managed to capture during the offensive in the spring of 2022. Vladimir Putin gave his New Year’s speech in 2022 in front of a group of people in uniform. Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev / AP More mobilized? Tension is linked to whether Putin will announce new mobilizations of soldiers for the war in Ukraine. But many believe that this will not be directly touched upon in the speech, because this is very unpopular in large parts of the population. In practice, a quiet mobilization is taking place in Russia continuously, and it is estimated that around 1/2 million soldiers have already been called up to fight in Ukraine. To quell discontent with the problems the war and sanctions have created in Russian society, it is expected that Putin will announce new social support schemes and increased salaries for government employees. Vladimir Putin’s speech comes the day after US President Joe Biden visited the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. A clear message to Putin and Xi President Vladimir Putin’s speech has been made into a major event in Russia, and traffic in parts of the capital Moscow has been stopped both today and tomorrow, Wednesday. There will also be a big concert at the Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday 22 February, where, according to the Meduza news agency, it is expected that Putin himself will also participate.
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The West is responsible for the conflict continuing – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
