Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday issued a stern warning to Western nations against any form of intervention in Ukraine, saying any country that creates a “strategic threat” to Russia’s ‘military operation’ in Ukraine will suffer a “lightning-fast” retaliation.
Addressing the Russian Council of Lawmakers at the Tauride Palace in Saint Petersburg on the occasion of Russia’s Parliamentarism Day, Putin warned, “We have the tools we need for this, the likes of which no one else can claim at this point,” possibly referring to Moscow’s operationalisation of its state-of-the-art Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
Putin’s remarks come against the backdrop of Russia’s recent “high-precision” missile attack on a Ukrainian military base. In a statement, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that it fired four Kalibr cruise missiles from its Black Sea fleet.
Russian MoD video showing a salvo of Kalibr cruise missiles launched by a Project 11356-class frigate in the Black Sea at Ukraine.https://t.co/WDsTqJAY3L pic.twitter.com/1wOveHooQb
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) April 27, 2022
Additionally, Putin reaffirmed that the objective of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, will be “unconditionally fulfilled” and definitely lead to peace for the people of Donetsk and Luhansk, along with Crimea. He also commended the bravery shown by Russian forces for their work in Ukraine, adding that it has definitely prevented the simmering tensions between Moscow and Kyiv from spilling into Russian territory. Furthermore, he claimed that the West’s efforts to “economically strangle Russia” through their collective sanctions had failed.
Putin also recalled that when independent Ukraine was first created, Russia was “friendly, comradely, fraternal” towards the nascent state, adding that both Moscow and Kyiv shared amicable relations back then. “No one could imagine the creation of an “anti-Russia” on historical Russian territory,” he said, suggesting that anti-Moscow sentiments were crucial in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s accession to power. According to Putin, this change has pushed Russia into “direct confrontation” with Ukraine.
"They should know that our retaliatory strikes will be lightning-fast."
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) April 27, 2022
President Putin warns against countries interfering in the war in Ukraine and said that Russia had been able to withstand the "illegitimate sanctions" imposed by the West. pic.twitter.com/PDGPV65fxJ
Towards the end of his speech, the Russian President urged his colleagues in the State Duma and the Federation Council to take additional steps to help Russia sustain itself against the United States (US)-led Western sanctions. In particular, Putin urged lawmakers to adopt social programmes aimed at protecting the most vulnerable citizens. In fact, he claimed that Russia’s financial system, including banks, the ruble, and trade, all have withstood the Western sanctions, adding that the Russian economy is ready to undertake infrastructure and development projects.