President of Russia Vladimir Putin declared that it was at stake Ukraine it is the very existence of Russia as a state.

Speaking to the workers of the aviation plant in the city of Buryatiaabout 4,400 km east of Moscow, repeated his well-known argument that The West is determined to dismantle Russia.

“Therefore, for us this is not a geopolitical issue, but a matter of the survival of the Russian state, creating conditions for the future development of the country and our children,” the Russian President said.

He accused the West of using Ukraine as a tool to wage war against Russia and provoke it.”strategic defeat“.

United States and their allies say they are helping Ukraine defend itself against an imperialist invasion that has destroyed Ukrainian cities, killed thousands of civilians and forced millions from their homes.

Putin, in response to a related question, said he was worried about the economy when the West imposed an unprecedented wave of sanctions last year, but they were stronger than expected.

“We have multiplied our economic superiority. After all, what was our enemy counting on? That we will fall apart in 2-3 weeks or in a month,” he said.

He said the enemy was expecting factories to close, the financial system to collapse, unemployment to rise, protesters to take to the streets, and Russia to “shake from within and collapse.”

“That didn’t happen,” Putin said. “It turned out for many of us, and even more so for the countries of the West, that the foundations of Russia’s stability are much stronger than anyone thought.”

Reuters