The planet was waiting with increased interest today for the speech of the Russian president, Vladimir Putinconsidering that on the occasion of the majestic military parade in Red Square for the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, it would include important messages to the West about the next Russian steps in Ukraine.
Lately, the scenarios in the West have been giving and taking with leading analysts to speculate about what would be revealed.
However, his 11-minute speech Russian president did not answer questions.
In fact, the BBC comments that Putin can get some satisfaction from everything he was feverishly trying to guess in the West about what he would say in his speech.
Apart from the predictable link between the current war in Ukraine and the fight against Nazism in World War II, the Russian president has given no real indication of his future intentions.
There was no indication of further escalation, no declaration of Russian victory in Ukraine. No casualties were reported, but there was no change in terminology: it is still a “special military operation” and not a war.
Vladimir Putin did not give any timeline for how the war in Ukraine would unfold.
In addition, he made no mention of nuclear use, nor of a generalized Russian attack, which the West also speculates is in Putin’s plans.
The Russian president kept his papers closed today, and the BBC commented: “Is Putin satisfied with making everyone guess, or does the lack of new evidence reflect a Russian retreat on the battlefield?”
What the Russian president said
On the other hand, Putin, with the same arguments he uses from the outset, tried to give a credible explanation for the war in Ukraine.
Addressing the troops gathered in Red Square, he condemned what he described as external threats to the weakening and disintegration of Russia and reiterated the well-known argument: that NATO was creating threats right next to the country’s borders.
The West – he said – was preparing to invade our land and Russia gave a “precautionary response” with the invasion of Ukraine.
It was a forced, timely and correct decision, he added, adding that Russian operations are now focused on Donbas.
In this context, the Russian president stressed, “the special military operation was a necessary and timely measure, it was the only right decision we could make.”
He noted that Russia “urged Europe to reach a fair compromise, but they did not want to hear from us.”
Edited by: Nena Sokou
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