Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday claimed that Western countries are trying to destroy Russia from within and said that his government would not allow anyone to interfere in the country’s internal affairs. He also said that most Russian citizens supported his decision to invade Ukraine in 2022, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”.

“The so-called West with its colonial habits, the habit of igniting national conflicts around the world, is not just trying to restrain our development. Instead of Russia, they need a dependent, fading, dying space where they can do whatever they want. Essentially, they would like to do the same with Russia as they did in many other regions of the world, including Ukraine. They want to bring discord to our home and weaken us from within,” he said during his annual address to the Russian Parliament.

“The political system of Russia is one of the pillars of the country’s sovereignty. We will continue to develop democratic institutions. We will not allow anyone to interfere in our internal affairs,” the Russian President added, as he asserted that Moscow was “defending its sovereignty and security and protecting our compatriots” in Ukraine.

Putin holds moment of silence for soldiers killed in Ukraine

Putin also paid tribute to Russian soldiers and honoured those who were killed in fighting with a moment of silence. His speech came two weeks ahead of a presidential election, in which Putin is expected to win another six-year term in a landslide.

“Today, when our homeland is defending its sovereignty and security and protecting the lives of our fellow countrymen in Donbas and Novorossiya, the decisive role in this righteous struggle belongs to our citizens, our unity, devotion to our native country and responsibility for its fate,” he said.

West trying to drag us into arms race: Putin

The Kremlin leader also accused the West of trying to pull Russia into an arms race and pledged to increase the technological and industrial potential of the country. “They are trying to wear us down, to repeat the trick they succeeded (in pulling off) with the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Therefore, our task is to develop the defence-industrial complex in such a way as to increase the scientific, technological and industrial potential of the country,” he added.

He also said Russia will be among the four largest economic powers in the near future and that the deficit of highly qualified staff and lack of own high-level technology are potential risks for the Russian economy. He further said that  Russia had used advanced weapons systems, including Zircon hypersonic missiles, and that it held the military advantage in Ukraine.

Boasting of vast natural resources, Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) rebounded sharply last year from a slump in 2022, but the growth relies heavily on state-funded arms and ammunition production for the war in Ukraine, masking problems that are hampering an improvement in Russians’ living standards.

‘Ready for dialogue with US, but won’t be forced’

Putin also told the parliament that Moscow is ready for dialogue with the United States on strategic stability, but rejected any attempts to force Russia into talks. He told the parliament that they are dealing with a country whose leadership is taking “openly hostile actions” against Russia, citing unsubstantiated accusations as a ‘ploy’ to drag Russia into negotiations with the US. 

“Russia is ready for dialogue with the United States on the issues of strategic stability… Our position is clear – if you want to discuss the significant, important issue of security and stability which is important for the entire planet, you must do so only in a single junction, naturally including all those aspects that affect our national interests and directly affect the security of our country, the security of Russia,” he added.

More to follow…