Citizens of Russia, my friends,
I’ll start with the fact that modern Ukraine is wholly and wholly created by Russiato be precise by Bolshevik, Communist Russia.
‘wholly and wholly created by Russia’
The fact that Ukrainians owe their sovereignty to the Bolsheviks is an extreme distortion of history even by Putin’s standards. Ukrainians first declared independence in 1918, but Lenin’s Bolsheviks destroyed it and incorporated Ukraine into the Soviet Union. Ukraine has been independent since 1991. Not because Russia allowed it, as Putin said, but because 90 percent of the population voted for it.
And now the “grateful posterity” has toppled statues of Lenin in Ukraine. They call it de-communization† Do you want de-communization? Fine, we are ready to show what true de-communization means for Ukraine.
‘They call it de-communization’
In 2015, then-Ukrainian President Poroshenko ordered the removal of Soviet symbols. Thousands of streets, parks and municipalities were given new names. Statues of Lenin have been toppled. Poroshenko’s decision had everything to do with the Russian occupation of Crimea and the Kremlin’s unleashing of war in eastern Ukraine. Soviet symbols, for many Ukrainians, refer to Moscow rule.
Russia has always cooperated openly and honestly with Ukraine, respecting its interests. But the Ukrainian authorities built their own state based on the denial of everything that united us, in an effort to distort the mentality and historical memory of millions of people. It is no surprise that Ukrainian society has been confronted with the rise of far-right nationalism, which quickly developed into aggressive Russophobia and neo-Nazis†
‘neo-azism’
Since the pro-European revolution of 2014, the Kremlin and Russian state television have presented Ukraine as a stronghold of neo-Nazis supported by the West. They zoom in daily on far-right factions that took part in the revolution and fought against pro-Russian separatists in the east. The factions are notorious for having neo-Nazis in their ranks, but their numbers are small. In the last parliamentary elections, far-right factions failed to reach the electoral threshold.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has been placed under external control and controlled from Western capitals. Do the Ukrainians realize that their country has not even become a political or economic protectorate, but has been reduced to a colony with a puppet regime?
The policy to eradicate the Russian language and culture and promote assimilation continues.
‘eradicate the Russian language and culture’
There is one official language in Ukraine: Ukrainian. Due to the suppression of Ukrainian during the Soviet Union, a large part of the population also speaks Russian. Russian is the first language for 20 percent. A 2019 language law makes Ukrainian the compulsory language in schools and on radio and TV. To Putin’s anger, President Zelensky shut down three pro-Russian channels owned by a Ukrainian friend of Putin’s last year.
And as is known, Ukraine is planning its own develop nuclear weaponsand that’s not a boast.
‘develop nuclear weapons’
Ukraine has just handed over all of its nuclear weapons from the Soviet Union to Russia. This was done through the Budapest Memorandum in 1994. In exchange, Ukraine received security guarantees from Russia, the US and the United Kingdom. The main guarantee, which twenty years later would be violated by Russia: abstention from threat or violence against Ukraine’s territorial integrity and political independence.
From European capitals we hear: ‘Why are you so concerned about Ukraine’s NATO accession? That’s not going to happen tomorrow.’ ‘Well’, we answer, ‘if not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow’.
The Americans simply have no interest in such a large independent country like Russia. Today, a look at the map is enough to see how western countries have adhered to their promise not to let NATO advance east† They just cheated.
‘their promise not to let NATO advance east’
After the fall of the Soviet Union, NATO expanded into Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries. According to Putin, the West has broken a promise. US Secretary of State Baker asked Gorbachev in 1990 if the Soviet leader wanted guarantees that NATO would move “not an inch eastward.” No written agreement was ever made. Moscow has agreed to treaties that set no limits on NATO expansion.
I want to emphasize that the danger of a sudden attack on our country will become much, much greater. The flight time to Moscow for hypersonic assault weapons will soon be 4 to 5 minutes.
Russia has every right to retaliate to ensure its own security. That’s exactly what we’re going to do.
As for the Donbas, we see that the ruling elite in Kiev are constantly and publicly stating their unwillingness to implement the Minsk Accords. On the contrary, it directs towards a new blitzkrieg in the Donbas.
‘a new blitzkrieg’
Russia and Ukraine have differed over the interpretation of the Minsk agreements for years. Russia demands, among other things, far-reaching autonomy for the separatists, Ukraine demands the withdrawal of Russian soldiers. That is why nothing has changed at the front since 2015. But Ukraine made no move to launch an offensive.
And the so-called civilized world pretends not to see it. As if all this horror, the genocideto which nearly 4 million people are subjected, does not exist.
the genocide
Putin has always legitimized Russia’s interventions as rescues. In eastern Ukraine, he created the threat himself by unleashing a war: 14 thousand people have died. But residents of separatist territory are in no way threatened by Ukraine since the frontline is secured. Ukraine still pays them benefits and pensions. Putin only supports his accusations with unsubstantiated reports in the Russian state media.
In this regard, I consider it necessary to take a long-delayed decision and immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic.
I rely on the support of the citizens of Russia, on all the patriotic forces of the country.
Thanks for your attention.’
* This is an abbreviated translation of Putin’s speech