Putin

2023 - 2 - 21

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'They started the war': Russia's Putin blames West and Ukraine for ... (CNBC)

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday used a widely-watched speech to deny responsibility for the war in Ukraine and lash out at his adversaries.

He also promised to deliver more artillery ammunition and anti-armor systems, and to announce new sanctions on Russian companies and its elites. "We had no doubt that by February 2022, everything was prepared for a punitive action in Donbas, where [the] Kyiv regime provided artillery and aviation and other weapons to attack Donbas in 2014. Last year it also annexed four Ukrainian regions (Donetsk and Luhansk which cover the Donbas region, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia) which Ukraine and its allies also condemned as illegal and illegitimate. I would like to repeat: they started the war. Putin's "state of the nation" address Tuesday was delivered in Moscow to lawmakers and military officials, and was also broadcast on state TV. Russia was looking to create a highway to Crimea, Putin said, and enact a program of "social restoration" to territories it claims control over. "All of this was completely against the documents that were accepted by the United Nations Security Council. The invasion was widely condemned by the international community and resulted in rounds of Western sanctions against Russian officials. 24 will mark one year since Russia mounted a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, beginning a ground war in Europe that Putin still refers to as a "special military operation." [Political analysts say Putin's decision to invade Ukraine was the biggest mistake of his political career](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/24/putins-invasion-of-ukraine-is-his-biggest-mistake-and-weakens-russia.html) and has weakened Russia for years to come. [Donbas](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/10/russia-is-about-to-face-ukraines-infamous-mud-again.html) region to speak their "own language" and had been seeking a peaceful solution. [Russian President Vladimir Putin](https://www.cnbc.com/vladimir-putin/) on Tuesday used a highly anticipated speech to deny responsibility for the war in Ukraine and lash out at his adversaries.

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Vladimir Putin blames west for using Ukraine as 'battering ram ... (Financial Times)

Russian president Vladimir Putin has defended his decision to invade Ukraine, which he said he was forced into to protect Russia from what he described as ...

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Vladimir Putin suspends last nuclear treaty with US, puts new ... (ABC News)

Key points: Russian President Vladimir Putin has delivered his annual address to the country's political and military elite in Moscow; He said Russia would ...

Besides the promise to continue the war and warnings to the West of a global confrontation, Mr Putin also sought to justify the war, saying it had been forced on Russia and that he understood the pain of the families of those who had fallen in battle. Both sides met the central limits by 2018. And they think that everything is so simple? Are they going to stick their nose in there too, or what? Speaking nearly a year to the day since ordering an invasion that has triggered the biggest confrontation with the West since the depths of the Cold War, Mr Putin said Russia would "consistently resolve the tasks facing" it in Ukraine. Mr Putin announced the move during his annual state-of-the-nation speech, in which he vowed to continue with Russia's year-long war in Ukraine and accused the US-led NATO alliance of fanning the flames of the conflict in the mistaken belief that it could defeat Moscow in a global confrontation.

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LIVE Updates: Vladimir Putin gives speech to Russian elites on ... (The Sydney Morning Herald)

President Vladimir Putin is updating Russia's elite on the war in Ukraine on Tuesday, nearly one year to the day since invading Ukraine.

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'Global war': Putin issues nuclear threat (NEWS.com.au)

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of wanting to wipe out Russia and issued a veiled nuclear threat in a landmark address to the nation.

and priests are forced to bless same-sex marriages,” Putin said. lies completely with Western elites,” Putin said as he gave his state of the nation address. “No one wanted this war. No one likes this war. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of wanting to wipe out Russia and issued a veiled nuclear threat in a landmark address to the nation. Putin accused the West of wanting “to be done with” Russia.

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Image courtesy of "TIME"

Putin Rages Against the West, Defends Ukraine Invasion in Annual ... (TIME)

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual meeting with the Federal Assembly on Feb. 21, 2023, in Moscow, Russia. Getty Images. By Associated ...

Biden plans to [give his own speech later Tuesday](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-kyiv-politics-united-states-government-5dc78c468ca866733ab7dff8651d8535) in Poland, where he’s expected to highlight the commitment of the central European country and other allies to Ukraine over the past year. and those in the EU. “They intend to transform the local conflict into a global confrontation.” “It’s they who have started the war. Many observers predicted it would also address Moscow’s fallout with the West — and Putin began with strong words for those countries. Observers are expected to scour it for signs of how Putin sees the conflict, which has become bogged down, and what tone he might set for the year ahead.

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Putin says Russia will suspend role in New START nuclear accord ... (The Washington Post)

President Vladimir Putin used his station of the nation speech to announce that Russia would suspend participation in the New START nuclear agreement.

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Vladimir Putin speech LIVE updates & streaming: Russia ... (WION)

Russian President Vladimir Putin is making a speech addressing the nation. WION brings you LIVE updates of the speech of a leader who is deeply influencing ...

"I have to announce that Russia is suspending its participation in the New START treaty," Putin said in his state of the nation address. Biden's Ukraine visit is seen as reaffirmation of West's support to Ukraine in its war against Russia. "Nobody is attacking Russia. "West started the war," says Putin in State of Nation address Putin said during his speech that the very existence of Russia was at stake. "We are using force to stop the Ukraine war," said Putin during the speech.

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Image courtesy of "Bloomberg"

Putin: Russia to Suspend Participation in New START Treaty (Bloomberg)

President Vladimir Putin said Russia will suspend its observation of the New START nuclear weapons treaty, saying, “there is no connection between the START ...

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Putin suspends Russia's involvement in key nuclear arms pact (ABC News)

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Moscow is suspending its participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the United States.

was working on nuclear weapons and some in the U.S. Putin on Tuesday challenged the U.S. State Department has said that Russia’s refusal to allow the inspections “prevents the United States from exercising important rights under the treaty and threatens the viability of U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control.” It noted that nothing prevents Russian inspectors from conducting inspections of U.S. Russia and the U.S. “In this situation, Rosatom (Russia's state nuclear corporation) and the Defense Ministry must ensure readiness for Russian nuclear weapons tests,” Putin said. Putin on Tuesday mocked NATO's statement urging Russia to allow the resumption of the U.S. He alleged that the U.S. Putin argued that while the U.S. The U.S. "In this context, I have to declare today that Russia is suspending its participation in the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Arms.” Speaking in his state-of-the-nation address, Putin also said that Russia should stand ready to resume nuclear weapons tests if the U.S. Explaining his decision to suspend Russia's obligations under New START, Putin accused the U.S.

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Putin tells Russian parliament the West is trying to dismember Russia (NPR)

MOSCOW – Speaking to a joint session of the Russian parliament and Kremlin officials, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented the war in Ukraine as an ...

Putin presented a now-familiar list of grievances against the West, including what he described as its moral and spiritual collapse whose values, he said, threaten the children of Russia. The U.S. It caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads that Russia and the U.S. Putin acknowledged Russia's significant losses in the war and called on those present to stand for a moment of silence in their memory. "The U.S. His audience included uniformed soldiers the Kremlin said had come directly from the frontlines of Moscow's "special military operation" in Ukraine. Regular inspections under the agreement, to make sure neither side is cheating, were put on hold in March 2020 during the pandemic. The two countries have the vast majority of all deployable warheads. and NATO openly say their goal is to see Russia's strategic defeat. U.S. Missing from Putin's address was any discussion of Russia's significant setbacks on the battlefield and its evident failure in the early days of the war to occupy Kyiv and remove Ukraine's democratically elected government. MOSCOW – Speaking to a joint session of the Russian parliament and Kremlin officials, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented the war in Ukraine as an existential struggle against Western forces intent on dismantling the historical territory of Russia.

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Image courtesy of "Reuters"

Putin accuses West of stoking global war to destroy Russia (Reuters)

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday vowed to continue with Russia's year-long war in Ukraine and accused the U.S.-led NATO alliance of fanning the flames of ...

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Putin gives few hints about what's next for Ukraine as he rallies ... (EURACTIV)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave no indication that he would end the war in Ukraine any time soon in his state-of-the-nation speech in Moscow on ...

The Russian economy and the management turned out to be much stronger than they thought,” he declared. The figure he provided largely seems to be in the ballpark forecast by international financial institutions. It is estimated that in 2022, Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) dropped by at least 2.2% in the best-case scenario and by up to 3.9% in the worst-case scenario. Russia’s GDP is forecast to decline by 5.6% in the worst-case scenario (OECD) or by 3.3% according to the World Bank. There are hundreds of them (…) around the world,” Putin said. “They also cannot fail to realise that it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield. “We are not fighting against the Ukrainian people,” Putin said. He also announced the creation of a “special state fund” to provide “personalised help to the families of dead fighters and the veterans of the ‘special military operation’.” Putin, however, did not give an indication of what to expect next. “We are talking about reviving enterprises and jobs in the ports of the Sea of Azov, which has again become an inland sea of Russia, and building new modern roads, as we did in Crimea”, he said, referring to the peninsula Russia invaded and annexed in 2014. “They were the ones who started the war,” Putin claimed, adding that Russia was using force “in order to stop it” and that Moscow had done “everything we could to resolve the Donbas problem peacefully”. As Friday’s anniversary of the invasion approaches, Putin again claimed that Ukraine and its Western allies had “started the war,” insisting he would not abandon the operation in Ukraine.

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Putin not backing down on Ukraine, insists West is at fault as he ... (9News)

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Tuesday that Moscow was suspending its participation in the New START treaty — the last remaining nuclear arms ...

The Russian president postponed the state-of-the-nation address before, in 2017. Peskov said journalists from those nations will be able to cover the speech by watching the broadcast. While the Constitution mandates that the president deliver the speech annually, Putin never gave one in 2022, as his troops rolled into Ukraine and suffered repeated setbacks. He added that Russia was prepared to respond since "it will be a matter of our country's existence." "It's they who have started the war. Russia also indefinitely postponed a planned round of consultations under the treaty. While Ukraine has reclaimed many areas initially seized by Russia, the two sides have become bogged down in tit-for-tat battles in others. In his his own speech later Tuesday, Biden is expected to highlight the commitment of the central European country and other allies to Ukraine over the past year. The agreement envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance. Putin also accused the West of taking aim at Russian culture, religion and values because it is aware that "it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield." On the ground in Ukraine on Tuesday, grinding battles and shelling attacks continued in the east and the south of the country. The Kremlin this year barred media from "unfriendly" countries, the list of which includes the US, the UK and those in the EU.

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In combative speech, Putin suspends nuclear arms treaty while ... (USA TODAY)

In a combative speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday again blamed the West for provoking his invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

[to deliver an address from Poland](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/21/joe-biden-ukraine-russia-poland-kyiv-trip-speech/11306842002/) on his view of Russia's war in Ukraine as the conflict [approaches the one-year mark](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/19/oversight-ukraine-russia-military-aid/11271555002/). Now, they're not sure they'll go back](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2023/02/20/year-after-invasion-ukrainian-refugees-unsure-when-theyll-go-home/11219395002/) Large parts of his speech were focused on domestic policies connected to infrastructure spending and financial reforms. We’ll be watching carefully to see what Russia actually does." Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Putin's move as "deeply unfortunate and irresponsible. He did not unveil any new military objectives connected to Ukraine. It was signed in 2010 and extended for five years in 2021. "In this regard, I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty," he said. and Russia. [because of the U.S. and NATO](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2023/02/20/year-after-invasion-ukrainian-refugees-unsure-when-theyll-go-home/11219395002/), without specifying more. [Joe Biden walks streets of Kyiv in surprise visit](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2023/02/20/joe-biden-makes-surprise-visit-ukraine/11303232002/)

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Putin delivers nuclear warning over Ukraine (Ballarat Courier)

President Vladimir Putin has delivered a nuclear warning to NATO over Ukraine, suspending a bilateral nuclear arms control...

But they also cannot fail to realise that it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield," a defiant Putin told his country's political and military elite. "We'll be watching carefully to see what Russia actually does. The US said in its 2022 Nuclear Posture Review that Russia and China were expanding and modernising their nuclear forces, and that the US would pursue an approach based on arms control to head off costly arms races. In essence, Putin is warning that he can dismantle the architecture of nuclear arms control - including the big powers' moratorium on nuclear testing - in an attempt to get the US and its allies to back off in Ukraine. But if the United States conducts tests, then we will. No one should have dangerous illusions that global strategic parity can be destroyed," Putin said.

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Putin pulls back from last remaining nuclear arms control pact with ... (CNN)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is suspending his country's participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States, ...

“Russia is not complying with its obligation under the New START Treaty to facilitate inspection activities on its territory,” a US State Department spokesperson said in January. The US has blamed Russia for this postponement, with a State Department spokesperson saying the decision was made “unilaterally” by Russia. “Nuclear powers do not lose major conflicts on which their fate depends,” Medvedev wrote in a Telegram post. it’s also something the rest of the world expect of us.” It was last extended in early 2021 for five years, meaning the two sides would soon need to begin negotiating on another arms control agreement. “I think it matters that we continue to act responsibly in this area …

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Putin promotes Russian escalation in annual speech (BBC News)

The president says he is taking Russia out of the last nuclear arms control treaty with America.

And we used force and are using force to stop it." We will react to it accordingly. "But if the US conducts tests, we will do it as well." He continues to push the false narrative that the West is to blame for the war. New Start is the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and America. As usual he blamed the West.

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Putin suspends participation in key nuclear arms treaty (POLITICO.eu)

'I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation,' Russian leader says.

“With today’s decision on New START, the whole arms control architecture has been dismantled,” the NATO chief added. “But of course we remain ready to discuss the limitation of strategic arms at any time with Russia regardless of anything that happens in the world or in our relations.” and Russia on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms — originally entered into force in 2011, and includes limitations on systems such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and nuclear warheads on deployed ICBMs. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at the U.S. The agreement — formally called the treaty between the U.S. “I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty,” he

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Image courtesy of "The Sydney Morning Herald"

Putin accuses West of starting war in Ukraine in long, lacklustre ... (The Sydney Morning Herald)

Russian President Vladmir Putin accused the West of starting the war in Ukraine, but said that he would not start a nuclear war, in a lengthy and rambling ...

[Latika Bourke](/by/latika-bourke-11tkbl)is a journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in London.Connect via He disparaged a proposal by the Church of England to refer to God in gender-neutral terms. The officials also estimate there are currently 300,000 Russian troops in Ukraine and that Moscow is having to dip into older-style Soviet tanks for the second year of the war. “Western elites have become a symbol of total, unprincipled lies to their own people. We are using force to stop it.” The war has become bogged in a stalemate, but Russia and Ukraine have suffered heavy casualties.

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Putin suspends Russian involvement in nuclear arms pact over ... (PBS NewsHour)

Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended Moscow's participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the U.S., announcing the move in a ...

was working on nuclear weapons and some in the U.S. State Department has said that Russia’s refusal to allow the inspections “prevents the United States from exercising important rights under the treaty and threatens the viability of U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control.” It noted that nothing prevents Russian inspectors from conducting inspections of U.S. Putin on Tuesday challenged the U.S. “In this situation, Rosatom (Russia’s state nuclear corporation) and the Defense Ministry must ensure readiness for Russian nuclear weapons tests,” Putin said. Russia and the U.S. Putin on Tuesday mocked NATO’s statement urging Russia to allow the resumption of the U.S. He alleged that the U.S. Putin argued that while the U.S. and its allies declared the goal of dealing Russia a military defeat in Ukraine and helped the Ukrainian military mount strikes on Russian nuclear facilities. The U.S. Speaking in his state-of-the-nation address, Putin also said that Russia should stand ready to resume nuclear weapons tests if the U.S. Explaining his decision to suspend Russia’s obligations under the 2010 New START treaty, Putin accused the U.S.

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Putin's ultimate aim is to seal Russia off from the west (Financial Times)

President Vladimir Putin has not only doubled down on his war of aggression in Ukraine but mapped a course for domestic politics, the economy and culture ...

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Putin chides West, defends Ukraine invasion in major speech (Politico)

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Western countries Tuesday of igniting and sustaining the war in Ukraine, dismissing any blame for Moscow almost a ...

Biden plans to [give his own speech later Tuesday](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-kyiv-politics-united-states-government-5dc78c468ca866733ab7dff8651d8535) in Poland, where he’s expected to highlight the commitment of the central European country and other allies to Ukraine over the past year. and those in the EU. It caps the number of long-range nuclear warheads they can deploy and limits the use of missiles that can carry atomic weapons. [so-called New START Treaty](https://apnews.com/article/nato-politics-moscow-business-34f8d662548cc7da55fe7320e902a656) was signed by Russia and the U.S. “They intend to transform the local conflict into a global confrontation.” Observers are expected to scour it for signs of how Putin sees the conflict, which has become bogged down, and what tone he might set for the year ahead.

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Putin not backing down on Ukraine, suspends START nuke pact (ABC News)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given no sign that he will change strategy in the Kremlin's bloody war in Ukraine, and ratcheted up tensions with the ...

Analysts expected Putin's speech would be tough in the wake of Biden's visit to Kyiv on Monday. The Russian president postponed the state-of-the-nation address before, in 2017. and those in the EU. Putin denied any wrongdoing, even as the Kremlin's forces in Ukraine strike civilian targets, including hospitals, and are widely accused of war crimes. While the Constitution mandates that the president deliver the speech annually, Putin never gave one in 2022, as his troops rolled into Ukraine and suffered repeated setbacks. “They intend to transform the local conflict into a global confrontation.” “We aren’t fighting the Ukrainian people,” Putin said in a speech days before the war’s first anniversary on Friday. “It’s they who have started the war. “What we heard this morning was propaganda that we already know,” Meloni said in English. Putin also said that Russia should stand ready to resume nuclear weapons tests if the U.S. The pact, signed in 2010 by the U.S. 24, 2022, and made a dash toward Kyiv, apparently expecting to quickly overrun the capital.

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Key moments from Russian President Vladimir Putin's state of the ... (ABC News)

The Russian president blames the West and its society of "degenerates" for the war in Ukraine, suspends his country's participation in a nuclear arms ...

"But the West is doubting these sacred texts ... “Those who saw Russia as just a source of income and were planning to live abroad, they saw that they just got robbed in the West.” He accused the West of "opening the way" for Nazi Germany in the 1930s, and said history was on the cusp of repeating in Ukraine this century. "The people of Ukraine have become the hostage of the Kyiv regime and its Western overlords." He said that Russia was not withdrawing from the treaty entirely and stressed that he would not be the one to "strike first" with nuclear weapons. Russian President Vladimir Putin used an annual speech to accuse the West of stoking a global war to destroy Russia and to praise the efforts of his troops in Ukraine.

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Putin delivers nuclear warning over Ukraine (The Canberra Times)

President Vladimir Putin has delivered a nuclear warning to NATO over Ukraine, suspending a bilateral nuclear arms control...

"One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv. But they also cannot fail to realise that it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield," a defiant Putin told his country's political and military elite. "We'll be watching carefully to see what Russia actually does. In essence, Putin is warning that he can dismantle the architecture of nuclear arms control - including the big powers' moratorium on nuclear testing - in an attempt to get the US and its allies to back off in Ukraine. But if the United States conducts tests, then we will. No one should have dangerous illusions that global strategic parity can be destroyed," Putin said.

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Biden hails 'rock solid' Nato as Putin blames West for Russia's war (BBC News)

Vladimir Putin has sharpened his vitriol towards the West as President Joe Biden, fresh from a visit to Kyiv, praised Western democracy for standing up to ...

Mr Biden said US commitment both to the alliance and Article 5 was "rock solid". Mr Putin has blamed the West and Nato countless times in the past, and he reprised many of his claims from his TV address on the day of the invasion a year ago. Signed in 2010 by two then presidents - Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev - the New Start treaty was designed to prevent nuclear war. Mr Putin's speech barely touched on the progress of Russia's military in Ukraine and there was no indication of how the war might end. Russia's president did announce he was suspending the New Start nuclear arms control treaty signed with the US in 2010. Welcoming him to Warsaw's royal castle, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that by travelling to Kyiv Mr Biden had shown the free world did not fear anything.

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After a year of military failure, Putin has retreated deep into delusion ... (The Guardian)

Confirmation that Russia will be backing out of the New Start treaty underlines his disdain for the international order, says Samantha de Bendern of the ...

Beyond the fact that Putin knew from the outset that these conditions were not acceptable to the US or to Nato, when one discusses a treaty the presumption is that both parties were involved in negotiating it, and both parties actually knew that a treaty was being drafted. Putin has cemented Russia’s withdrawal from the international order – and the imprisonment of more than 140 million Russians in an empire built on lies and bloodshed. Putin continues to make veiled nuclear threats, and did so again in this address when he stated that western declarations on ensuring a strategic defeat for Russia were an existential threat “to which we know how to react”. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? It limits the number of nuclear warheads each side is allowed to have, and provides for bilateral inspections of each other’s nuclear facilities. The official closure of the main forum for dialogue on nuclear weapons is regrettable, and increases the chances of a new nuclear arms race – but at least all sides know clearly where they stand. He praised the dramatic drop in unemployment while businesses are suffering from a dire lack of human resources due to the twin blows of mobilisation and exile. But one thing is knowable: it is impossible to negotiate with someone who uses lies and blackmail to force his opponent’s hand, because nothing he says can be trusted. He promised financial benefits to war widows and the wounded, and praised the Russian economy’s robust performance under sanctions, in a country where automobile production Not only did he fail to offer any reassurance to those who dared hope he was considering making some concessions to the truth that the operation is not going well, but he also left the radical pro-war faction hungry for a more aggressive approach. In the absence of any groundbreaking advances on the military front, many expected Putin to finally admit that Russia was at war in Ukraine. But no, the “special military operation” is ploughing on “step by step”.

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Biden and Putin both implicitly tie their futures to the outcome in ... (The Guardian)

Russian leader says war is about Russia's right to exist, as US president describes it as a battle for freedom, in vastly different speeches.

The capture of the whole of Ukraine, a county that had apparently fallen under the control of undemocratic western elites, was not explicitly mentioned. With the anniversary of this war so close to that of the Iraq war, regime change did not pass his lips. By contrast, Putin, in his two-hour soporific State of the Union address, placed less emphasis on universal values and more on Russia’s interests and own security. The White House was not averse to a bit of war time glitz. Biden also had the advantage of the symbolism of the venue. Both men also implicitly tied their own futures to the outcome of this war, saying their opponent was bound to lose.

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Putin Suspended the Last Remaining Nuclear Pact With the U.S. ... (TIME)

Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended his nation's participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement with the U.S. on Tuesday, ...

That would leave the nuclear stockpiles for both the U.S. Therefore, the U.S. [continually chosen to rattle](https://time.com/6233822/biden-world-leaders-condemn-russia-nuclear-threats/) his nuclear saber at the U.S. 31 that Moscow is in “noncompliance” with the treaty because inspections have been suspended since March 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the U.S. Even though Putin officially declared the treaty’s suspension Tuesday, the U.S. But Putin’s declaration is a blow to the stability of global security, says Rose Gottemoeller, a retired U.S. Several Cold War-era arms control agreements have been torn up, including the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002 and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019. Putin also declared Russia is ready to resume nuclear-weapons tests should the U.S. The U.S. [a surprise visit to Ukraine](https://time.com/6256941/biden-trip-kyiv-ukraine-zelensky/), shows how the confrontation between Russia, the U.S., and Europe is approaching a perilous crossroads [one year after Putin ordered](https://time.com/6150731/russia-invasion-ukraine/) Russian forces to invade. Around 90% of the world’s nuclear warheads belong to Moscow and Washington. Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended his nation’s participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement with the U.S.

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Republicans criticize Biden's trip to Kyiv as Putin withdraws from ... (The Guardian)

Comments from right wing are business as usual – but could signal future political battles to come if US to keep sending aid to Ukraine.

“We’re all for Ukraine, we support their effort against the Russians as we approach the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, but the message that I get from constituents all across west Tennessee and I think other members of Congress get is, we need to stop the spending,” Kustoff said. But the comments from the Republican lawmakers could also be harbingers of major political battles to come. The sentiment wasn’t unanimous among Republicans. The comments from Republicans were, in many ways, business as usual for the Biden presidency. That tells you right now he doesn’t care about us,” East Palestine’s mayor Trent Conaway said of Biden’s The journey was only complicated further by an unexpected announcement.

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Putin warns of widening Ukraine operation and suspends nuclear ... (Helsinki Times)

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a warning on Tuesday that if the West decides to supply Ukraine with longer-range advanced weapons, it will force ...

Senator Konstantin Kosachev, the vice speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament, has earlier said that thousands of lives have been lost in eastern Ukraine since 2014 because the West has treated the Minsk agreements as scrap paper. The failure of Kiev to implement the Minsk agreements has been cited by Russia as one of the reasons for Moscow launching its military operation in February 2022. He stated that it is obvious that the longer the range of Western systems that arrive in Ukraine, the further Russia will be forced to push the threat away from its borders.

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Putin says Russia will halt participation in New Start nuclear arms ... (The Guardian)

Russian president airs grievances against west in speech devoted to first anniversary of Ukraine invasion.

The problem, of course, is that there is no change of political relations in sight.” And I would expect the US also suspending its obligations.” Putin, in his speech, promised tax breaks for businesses and government support for fighters returning from the war in Ukraine. In particular, Putin fumed over Nato support for Ukraine, and claimed the west was seeking a “strategic defeat” of Russia. The treaty also provides for joint monitoring of each side’s deployed nuclear arsenals, as well as coordination through the bilateral consultative commission. The Russian foreign ministry had summoned the new US ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, for a meeting on Tuesday, saying it had an important announcement, prompting speculation of a full withdrawal.

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Fear and loathing in Moscow: Putin lays out a paranoid vision of the ... (The Sydney Morning Herald)

The Russian leader attacked the West for provoking his invasion, ranted against same-sex marriage, and scrapped the last nuclear arms deal with the US.

“I think it matters that we continue to act responsibly in this area,” he said. Russia has sustained huge losses in Ukraine but is expected to launch a new offensive in the northern spring. Many of Russia’s top officials and state company executives are said to privately oppose the war, but have stayed in their posts and accepted it instead of speaking out. [Putin announced he was halting involvement in the sole remaining arms deal](/link/follow-20170101-p5cmez) between Moscow and Washington. Putin claimed Russia tried to settle the conflict in the Donbas region by peaceful means but the West’s commitment to peace turned out to be a “cruel lie” and claimed Kyiv was trying to gather biological and nuclear weapons. [speech to Russia’s federal legislature](/link/follow-20170101-p5cmez) in Moscow, the first in two years, included everything from a bizarre attack on the West for [provoking his invasion](/link/follow-20170101-p5ckfn), ranting against same-sex marriage and the push to adopt a gender-neutral Bible within the Anglican Church.

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Image courtesy of "ABC News"

Explainer: The New START nuclear treaty, and why Vladimir Putin is ... (ABC News)

A look at New START and what Russia's announcement — that Moscow is suspending its participation in the last remaining US-Russia arms control treaty — means ...

During the Trump administration, the US declined to engage in negotiations to extend it, accusing Moscow of flagrant violations. "Both the US and Russia have meticulously planned their respective nuclear modernisation programs based on the assumption that neither country will exceed the force levels currently dictated by New START," the Federation of American Scientists said in a February report that looked at the risks if the two sides failed to renew the treaty. The treaty obligated both Russia and the US to commit to regular communications on the status of their nuclear arsenals, allow regular on-site inspections and abide by caps on the number of deployed and non-deployed warheads each would maintain. In late January, the Biden administration reported to Congress that Russia was not complying with the terms of the agreement by refusing to allow inspections on its territory and refusing to agree to new talks on resuming those checks. In his state of the nation address to the Russian people, Mr Putin said Russia was suspending its participation in the treaty because of US support for Ukraine, and accused the US and its NATO allies of openly working for Russia's destruction. - The treaty required both the US and Russia to communicate about their nuclear arsenals, allow on-site inspections and adhere to limits on nuclear warheads

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Image courtesy of "The Atlantic"

The Dueling Global Visions of Putin and Biden (The Atlantic)

That it happened today was no accident: Friday is the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden were both ...

Yes, we would stand up for the right of people to live free from aggression.” And yes, of course, “we would stand up for democracy.” I hope Biden understands that he has promised to win this war, and that now he has to find a way to do so. But he did state another general principle, one broad enough to interpret as a reference to China or Iran: “Appetites of the autocrat cannot be appeased. “We were doing everything possible to solve this problem peacefully.” Ukraine “started the war.” It is “them”—the West—“who are culpable for the war, and we are using force to stop it.” Everyone in that room knew these were lies. If we are fighting for “freedom and sovereignty,” we can never accept anything less. As for those who had left the country, among them the sons and daughters of those in the room, he dismissed them as “national traitors.” Putin knows that the Biden administration is deterred by fear of Russian nuclear weapons, and so he has a genuine interest in stoking that fear, whenever and however he can. Putin had doubted the willpower of America and the democratic world, Biden said, but Putin was wrong: “Yes, we would stand up for sovereignty … Unlike Putin, Biden cared a lot more about reaching people who weren’t there: the American public, the European public, and the Ukrainian public too. The wearily familiar language about Western degeneracy—“the destruction of the family, cultural and national identity, perversion, and the abuse of children are declared the norm”—was intended to scare any Russians who still feel a twinge of regret or a sense of loss, now that Russia is cut off from Europe. It’s not that often that the president of Russia and the president of the United States give major speeches on the same day, hitting parallel themes and subjects. A few of his phrases were meant for outsiders to hear.

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Image courtesy of "The Singleton Argus"

Putin suspends nuclear pact as US champions Ukraine (The Singleton Argus)

US President Joe Biden will meet leaders of NATO's eastern flank in a show of support after Russia's...

Most are among the strongest supporters of military aid to Ukraine and have called for more help for it, such as air defence systems. And we did." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said it made the world a more dangerous place, and urged Putin to reconsider. "They intend to transform a local conflict into a phase of global confrontation," he said. But they also cannot fail to realise that it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield," Putin said. And we did.

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Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

Putin Has Decided to Normalize His War (The Washington Post)

His just-grin-and-bear-it message in his state-of-the-nation speech means that he has no idea how Russia wins.

In both cases, Russia’s future is in the hands of Ukrainians, an unexpected result from a year of the bloodiest fighting seen anywhere this century. This Russia, isolated from the West, focused on self-sufficiency and on regaining “historical territories,” a country in which dissenters are treated as traitors and the military is constantly in action, is the country he may have long wanted to run. What Navalny is saying is just what the West would like to hear from a Russian leader. While Putin’s references to patriotism and alleged popular support for the war sounded almost perfunctory, his one moment of true sincerity was an “I told you so” one — when he reminded Russian businesspeople of his warning back in 2002 that any assets they acquire in the West would not be safe and could easily be confiscated. If Russia actually ventured on the attack in Ukraine in the last few weeks, as some military analysts have argued, it is stuck without having achieved anything besides the capture of a few small villages and the near-capture of the town of Bakhmut. That Putin chose to deliver this message a year into the Russian invasion of Ukraine means he has no idea how Russia wins — and that, for want of better options, he’s decided to semaphore that he doesn’t really mind a long war.A day before the dictator’s speech, his only credible domestic opponent, Alexei Navalny, laid out his message to Russians and the world in a series of tweets — a format necessitated by his continued imprisonment.

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Image courtesy of "EURACTIV"

Putin cancels sensitive Moldova decree, prompting Biden to react (EURACTIV)

President Vladimir Putin revoked on Tuesday (21 February) a 2012 decree that in part underpinned Moldova's sovereignty in resolving the future of the ...

“Moldova and Russia have a basic political agreement that provides for mutual respect for the territorial integrity of our countries.” A brief war pitted newly independent Moldova against the separatists in 1992. US President Joe Biden met her in Poland on Tuesday affirming his support. The decree committed Russia to seeking ways to resolve the separatist issue “based on respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and neutral status of the Republic of Moldova in determining the special status of Transnistria”. US President Joe Biden reacted from Warsaw. The order revoking the 2012 document was published on the Kremlin’s website and states that the decision was taken to “ensure the national interests of Russia in connection with the profound changes taking place in international relations”.

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