Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech on the anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad and compared the war he started in Ukraine with the fight against Nazi Germany, BBC writes.
Pointing to Germany’s decision to supply tanks to Ukraine, Putin has stated that its tanks threaten Russia again.
Putin was in Volgograd to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, which marked a turning point in World War II and is considered the bloodiest event of the war. For a while, the city was named after Stalin, and this week a new bust of the bloody dictator was unveiled there. Stalin also instigated famine in Ukraine in 1932-1933, which is now recognized as an act of genocide.
Speaking in Volgograd Putin hinted that Russia is ready to go beyond conventional weapons.
He said Russia would not send tanks but would use other options to respond to any country that stood in the way of Moscow’s plans.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to elaborate on Putin’s comments but said that Russia will use its full potential as the West supplies weapons to Ukraine.
Throughout the war, Putin has tried to present the violence in Ukraine as a fight against the Nazis, who he says are in power in Kyiv. He also returned to this topic in his speech and pointed out that Nazism had been reborn in a modern form, and Russia had to fight against all Western countries.
Berlin has agreed to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, to which the Russian energy company Fores responded by announcing a reward of five million rubles for the first Russian soldier who destroys or takes over a German tank.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia plans to take revenge on the West for the aid they provided to Ukraine. He said:
«Now Russia is concentrating its forces. We all know that. It is preparing to try to take revenge, not only against Ukraine, but against a free Europe and the free world.»
Zelensky pointed out that Russia quickly adapted to the sanctions and called on the leaders of the European Union to intensify their efforts against the Russian economy. Zelensky also thanked US President Joe Biden for the help he provided and said that everything should be done so that a year from now everyone could say words of gratitude that the evil is gone.
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