Putin was speaking to reporters after winning the biggest ever landslide in post-Soviet Russian history
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stern warning to the West on Monday, cautioning that a confrontation between Russia and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance could bring the world perilously close to the brink of World War Three. Despite this alarming prospect, Putin noted that few desired such a catastrophic scenario.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has plunged Moscow’s relations with the West into their most severe crisis since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. While Putin has frequently highlighted the dangers of nuclear conflict, he reiterated that he had not considered resorting to nuclear weapons in the context of the Ukrainian conflict.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently suggested the potential deployment of ground troops in Ukraine, a notion that has garnered mixed reactions among Western nations, with some distancing themselves while others, particularly in Eastern Europe, have expressed support.
When questioned by Reuters regarding Macron’s remarks and the potential for conflict between Russia and NATO, Putin responded with a wry observation: “Everything is possible in the modern world.”
Putin emphasized the grave implications of such a conflict, stressing that it would bring the world dangerously close to a full-scale global conflict. He expressed doubt that anyone had a vested interest in such a devastating outcome.
Despite his warnings, Putin pointed out the presence of NATO military personnel in Ukraine, noting instances where Russian forces had intercepted conversations in both English and French on the battlefield. Putin underscored the tragic consequences of this conflict, highlighting the significant loss of life among NATO forces.
BUFFER ZONE
Ahead of the Russian election scheduled for March 15-17, Ukraine escalated attacks against Russia by shelling border regions and utilizing proxies in attempts to breach Russian borders.
When questioned about the possibility of seizing Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Putin stated that if the attacks persisted, Russia would establish a buffer zone encompassing additional Ukrainian territory to safeguard Russian borders.
“I do not rule out the necessity, given the current tragic circumstances, for us to eventually, when we deem it necessary, establish a certain ‘sanitary zone’ within territories currently under the control of the Kyiv regime,” Putin remarked.
He refrained from providing further details but emphasized that such a zone might need to be sufficiently large to prevent foreign-made weaponry from reaching Russian territory.
In February 2022, Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sparking a significant European conflict following eight years of tensions in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian Ukrainians along with Russian proxies.
Putin expressed his desire for Macron to cease exacerbating the conflict in Ukraine and instead contribute to peace efforts: “It appears that France could play a role. There is still hope.”
“I have reiterated this numerous times, and I will do so again. We are in favor of peace talks, not simply because the enemy is running low on ammunition,” Putin emphasized.
“If they genuinely and earnestly seek to establish peaceful, mutually beneficial relations between the two nations in the long term, rather than merely pausing rearmament for 1.5-2 years.”
US DEMOCRACY
Putin shrugged off U.S. and Western criticism of the election, which the White House deemed neither free nor fair, by pointing to what he perceived as flaws in U.S. democracy and criticizing the use of state power against Donald Trump.
“The whole world is ridiculing the situation there,” Putin commented on the United States. “It’s a complete disaster – it doesn’t resemble democracy at all – what exactly is it?”
Regarding the fate of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died under unexplained circumstances in a Russian prison in the Arctic on Feb. 16, Putin simply stated that Navalny had “passed away,” mentioning Navalny’s name publicly for one of the first times.
Putin disclosed that he had agreed several days before Navalny’s death to a prisoner swap. Reuters had previously reported in February about a potential prisoner exchange deal for Navalny shortly before his death.
“I said: ‘I agree,'” Putin stated regarding his approval of the prisoner swap. “I had one condition – we exchange him, but he never comes back.”
Navalny’s widow, Yulia, has accused Putin of being responsible for her husband’s death. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refuted this claim, stating it was categorically incorrect.
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