Putin's speech on the beginning of a military operation

On the morning of February 24, Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a military operation in the Donbass in Ukraine.

The president said that Russia did not leave the opportunity to protect compatriots, and assigned responsibility for the possible bloodshed on the Ukrainian regime. Putin also said that Russian plans do not include the occupation of the territory of Ukraine.

"Paper" publishes the decoding of the president’s appeal with small abbreviations.

- For 30 years, we tried to agree with the leading NATO countries about the principles of equal and indivisible security in Europe. In response, they constantly encountered either cynical deception and lies, or with attempts to pressure and blackmail. The alliance, meanwhile, is steadily expanding, the military machine moves and approaches our borders close.

Where does this impudent manner talk from the perspective of their own exclusivity and permissiveness, a disregard for our interests and legal requirements? The answer is clear: the Soviet Union in the late 80s of the last century weakened, and then collapsed. The whole course of those events is a good lesson for us today. He showed that the paralysis of power and will is the first step towards degradation and oblivion. As soon as we lost confidence in ourselves - and that’s it. The balance of power in the world was violated. This led to the fact that previous agreements and agreements practically do not apply. Persuasions and requests do not help. Everything that does not suit the Hegemon is declared archaic, outdated, unnecessary. And vice versa - everything that seems profitable to them is presented as truth in the last instance. It is pushed at all costs, disagreed through the knee.

This applies not only to Russia, but the entire system of international relations. After the collapse of the USSR, the redistribution of the world began. The current norm of international law began to interfere with those who declared themselves the winner of the Cold War. [Several minutes gives examples of violation of international law from the West, recalls the war in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya and Syria.]

American politicians, political scientists and journalists write that an empire of lies has been created inside the United States. It is difficult to disagree. But the USA is a system -forming power. All her satellites not only assent for any reason, but also copy her behavior, accept the rules offered to her. Therefore, we can confidently say that the entire “Western block” is the empire of lies.

In the 90s and early 2000s, they tried to finish and completely destroy us. The collective West supported the separatists and gangs in the south of Russia. What sacrifice it cost us! We remember this and never forget.

Until recently, attempts did not stop using us in their interests, destroy our traditional values ​​and impose our pseudo -produces that would corrode our people from the inside. Those attitudes that aggressively plant in their countries and which directly lead to degradation and degeneration, since they contradict the very nature of man. This does not happen.

Despite everything, in December 2021, we still once again attempted to agree with the United States and its allies about the principles of security in Europe and NATO non-exposure. Everything is in vain. The US position does not change. They do not consider it necessary to negotiate with Russia on a key issue for us. In this situation, we have a question: what to do next? What to wait?

We know well from history, as in the 40th and early 41st year the Soviet Union sought to prevent or at least delay the beginning of the war. I tried, including to the last, not to provoke a potential aggressor. He did not carry out or postponed the necessary and obvious actions to prepare to repel an inevitable attack. And those steps that were taken were disastrously late. The country was not ready to meet the invasion of Nazi Germany. The enemy managed to stop and crush, but with a tremendous price. An attempt to appease the aggressors on the eve of the Great Patriotic War turned out to be a mistake that cost our people dearly. The second time we will not accept such a mistake.

The military development of the territories adjacent to our boundaries, if we accept it, will remain decades ahead, and maybe forever. And it will create for Russia a constantly growing, absolutely unacceptable threat. Already now, the situation for our country is getting worse and more dangerous. In recent days, NATO openly indicates the need to speed up the promotion of the alliance infrastructure to the borders of Russia. In other words, it tightens its position. We just cannot observe anymore. This would be absolutely irresponsible on our part.

Further expansion of NATO and the began military development of the territory of Ukraine is unacceptable for us. The point, of course, is not the NATO itself, this is just a tool of US foreign policy. The problem is that in the territories adjacent to us, our historical territories, the “anti -Russian”, which is put under complete external control, is created, intensively settled by the armed forces of the NATO countries and is pumped up by the most modern weapons. For the United States and its allies, this is a “deterioration policy of Russia”, obvious geopolitical dividends. And for our country - the issue of life and death, our historical future as a people. And this is not an exaggeration, it is. This is a real threat not just to our interests, but to the very existence of our state, its sovereignty. This is the same red trait that he has repeatedly talked about. They crossed her.

We see that the forces that in 2014 committed the coup in Ukraine seized power and hold it with the help of, in fact, decorative elected procedures, and completely abandoned the peaceful settlement of the conflict. Infinitely long -long eight years, we did everything possible to make the situation peacefully, political means. Everything is in vain.

It was necessary to immediately stop this nightmare, genocide in relation to millions of people who hope only for Russia, on you and me. These aspirations, feelings, pain of people were the main motive for us to recognize the people's republics of Donbass.

The leading NATO countries to achieve their goals support extreme nationalists and neo -Nazis in Ukraine, who, in turn, will never forgive the Crimeans and Sevastopol residents with their free choice of reunification with Russia. They, of course, will climb into the Crimea - with the war. In order to kill, how the punishers from the gangs of Ukrainian nationalists - Hitler’s accomplices during the Second World War were killed.

They frankly declare that they claim a number of other Russian territories. The entire course of the development of events and the analysis of incoming information shows that the clash of Russia with these forces is inevitable, this is only a matter of time. They are preparing. They are waiting for a comfortable hour. Now they also claim to have nuclear weapons. We will not allow this to do this.

After the collapse of the USSR, Russia adopted new geopolitical realities. We respect all states newly formed in the post -Soviet space, respect their sovereignty. An example of this is our help to Kazakhstan. Russia cannot feel safe, develop, exist with a constant threat emanating from the territory of modern Ukraine.

In 2014, we supported the Crimeans and Sevastopolites. In 2015, the armed forces were used to put a reliable barrier to the penetration of terrorists from Syria to Russia. We had no other way to protect ourselves. The same thing happens now. We were simply not left with you any other opportunity to protect Russia, our people, except for the one we will have to use today.

Circumstances require us decisive and immediate actions. People's Republics of Donbass turned to Russia with a request for help. In this regard, in accordance with Article 51 of the Part 7 of the UN Charter from the sanction of the Council of the Federation of Russia and in the implementation of Friendship and Mutual Assistance ratified by the Federal Assembly on February 22 of this year, I decided to conduct a special military operation with the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic . Its goal is to protect people who have been inhibited for eight years, genocide from the Kyiv regime. And for this we will strive for the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. And also betray the court of those who committed numerous bloody crimes against civilians, including citizens of the Russian Federation.

At the same time, our plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories . We are not going to impose anything on anyone and by force. At the same time, we hear that recently in the West there are increasingly sounding words that documents signed by the Soviet totalitarian regime, fixing the results of the Second World War, should not be followed.

The results of World War II, like the victims brought by our people to the altar of victory over Nazism, are sacred. But this does not contradict the high values ​​of human rights and freedoms, based on those realities that have developed today for all the post -war decades.

Also, this does not cancel the rights of the nation to self -determination, enshrined in Article 1 of the UN Charter. Recall that neither when creating the USSR, nor after the Second World War, people living in certain territories included in modern Ukraine have never asked how they themselves want to equip their lives. Our policy is based on freedom. Freedom of choice for everyone to independently determine their future and future of their children. And we consider it important that all the peoples living in today's Ukraine could take advantage of this right, the right to choose. Everyone who wants it.

In this regard, I also appeal to the citizens of Ukraine. In 2014, Russia was obliged to protect the inhabitants of Crimea and Sevastopol from those whom you yourself call the Naziki. Crimeans and Sevastopol residents made their choice - to be with their historical homeland, with Russia. And we supported it. I repeat: they just could not do otherwise. Today's events are not connected with the desire to infringe on the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. They are associated with the protection of Russia itself from those who took Ukraine hostage and are trying to use it against our country and its people. I repeat: our actions are self -defense from the threats created by us and from even more trouble than the one that is happening today.

No matter how hard it is, please understand this. And I call for interaction in order to turn this tragic page as soon as possible and move forward together, no one can allow anyone to intervene in our affairs, in our relationship, but to build them on their own. So that this creates the necessary conditions to overcome problems and, despite the presence of state borders, would strengthen us from the inside as a whole. I believe in such our future.

It should also contact the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Dear comrades, your fathers, grandfathers and great -grandfathers did not fight the Nazis for that, protecting our common homeland, so that today's neo -Nazis would seize power over Ukraine, take the oath of loyalty to the Ukrainian people, and not the anti -people's junta, which robs and mocks this people. Do not follow her criminal orders. I urge you to immediately lay down the weapon and go home. All military personnel who fulfill this requirement will be able to freely leave the war zone and return to their families. All responsibility for possible bloodshed will be entirely and completely on the conscience of the regime ruling in Ukraine.

A few important words for those who may tempt from the side to intervene in the events. Whoever tries to prevent us, all the more to create a threat to our country, for our people, should know that Russia's answer will be immediate and will lead you to such consequences that you have never encountered in your history. We are ready for any development of events. All decisions necessary in this connection have been made. I hope I will be heard.

Dear citizens of Russia, well -being, the very existence of states and peoples, their success and vitality always originate in a powerful root system of their culture, values, experience and traditions of ancestors. And of course, it depends on the ability to quickly adapt to a rapidly changing life. From the cohesion of society, its ability to consolidate, to collect all the forces together in order to go forward. Everything is always needed.

Strength can be different. The policy of the lies' empire, which I was preparing at the beginning of my speech, primarily, first of all, a rough straightforward force. In such cases, we say: "There is power - there is no mind."

And you and I know that real justice is in force and truth, which is on our side. If this is so, then it is difficult to disagree with the fact that strength and willingness to struggle underlie independence and sovereignty are the necessary foundation on which you can build your future, build your home, your family, your homeland.

Dear compatriots! I am sure that soldiers devoted to their country and officers of the Armed Forces of Russia will professionally and courageously fulfill their duty. I have no doubt that all levels of power, experts responsible for the stability of our economy, financial system, social spheres, leaders of our companies and all Russian business will operate harmoniously and effectively. I count on the consolidated patriotic position of all parliamentary parties and public forces. Ultimately, as it was always in history, the fate of Russia in the safe hands of our multinational people. And this means that the decisions made will be fulfilled, the goals are achieved - achieved, the safety of our Motherland is reliably guaranteed. I believe in your support, in the invincible power that our love for the Fatherland gives us.

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