Russian President Vladimir Putin has delivered a stark message of defiance to the West, accusing “arrogant” Western elites of stoking global conflicts and asserting Russia’s combat readiness. “We know what the exorbitance of such ambitions leads to. Russia will do everything to prevent a global clash,” Putin said on Red Square after defence minister Sergei Shoigu reviewed troops lined up in a blizzard.
Vladimir Putin, who rose to power just eight years after the Soviet Union broke up, will speak at the Victory Day parade on Red Square though there will be less military hardware on display than in parades before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reports. Putin now casts the war as part of a holy struggle with the West, which he says has forgotten the role played by the Soviet Union in defeating Nazi Germany and the lesson that neither Napoleon Bonaparte nor Adolf Hitler could defeat Russia. “I want to bow to our heroes, the participants of the special military operation, to all those who are fighting for the Fatherland,” Putin said.
Russia has announced drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons in response to what it sees as provocative statements and threats from the West. The announcement notably coincided with Putin’s inauguration to a fifth term in office and Victory Day celebrations.
Moscow’s rhetoric has drawn international concern, with the UN expressing alarm at the heightened nuclear risks and urging actions to avoid miscalculation or escalation. France’s President Emmanuel Macron and the UK’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron have made statements about potentially deeper involvement in Ukraine, which the Kremlin has branded as dangerous.
It wasn’t the first time Europe’s military support for Ukraine has prompted nuclear saber-rattling. In March 2023, after the U.K.’s decision to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing shells containing depleted uranium, Putin said he intends to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Ukraine neighbor Belarus.
The ministry said the exercise is intended to “increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to fulfill combat tasks” and will be held on Putin’s orders. The maneuvers will involve missile units of the Southern Military District along with the air force and the navy, it said.
Relevant articles:
– Russia-Ukraine war live: Putin accuses ‘arrogant’ west of risking global conflict and says his forces are at ‘combat readiness’ , The Guardian, 05/09/2024
– Ukraine-Russia war: Latest updates, Sky News, 05/09/2024
– Ukraine-Russia war: Latest updates, Sky News, 05/09/2024
– Putin vows his nukes are ‘always’ ready & snubs UK in WW2 rant at snow-blasted Victory Day parade with ONE TANK, The US Sun, 05/09/2024
– Russia warns Britain and plans nuclear drills over the West’s possible deepening role in Ukraine, The Associated Press, 05/06/2024