‘Ukrainians destined to be expendable,’ says Putin

Russia’s war in Ukraine was provoked by the West, Russian President Vladimir Putin said before the Council of Legislators on Wednesday. The Russian leader also shared his view of the Ukrainian people’s fate.

“The West has led Ukraine to a direct military confrontation with Russia. The Ukrainian people are destined to be expendable, and they are starting to understand that,”

he said, quoted by Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.

According to Putin, Western countries have used a new geopolitical weapon against Russia, betting on “Russophobes and neo-Nazis,” gradually turning Ukraine into an “anti-Russia” and pushing Kyiv towards a direct confrontation. The Russian leader stressed that Russia would continue to achieve its goals in Ukraine, acting in accordance with the approved plan.

“If someone tries to interfere in the situation in Ukraine from the outside, our response will be lightning-fast,”

he threatened, noting that Russia has certain “means” that its opponents do not possess.

Putin expressed concern for the safety of Russian reporters “who take on a patriotic stance.” Any attempts to intimidate these reporters “are doomed to fail,” he assured.

The president also commented on the political and economic situation in the country. Putin is confident that Russia’s economy has not fallen apart under sanctions, while the 2020 amendments to the Russian Constitution have made the country’s parliamentary system stronger.

The Russian leader came down heavily on several international organisations, including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). “It has become impossible, and perhaps pointless, to work there,” he said.

“These platforms were established in the early 1990s not to harmonise European relations, but to influence the post-Soviet space instead. These means have had their day. No one needs them anymore, let them deal with their own issues,” he concluded.

Earlier, Russian media reported that the Council of Legislators might consider cancelling direct elections of Russian regional governors. However, Putin did not bring this issue up during the session.