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In a televised speech to ministers, Putin acknowledged the blow to the economy from Western sanctions, but insisted that Russia can take the hit.[/B]
Putin said Russia was ready to discuss neutrality status for Ukraine, three weeks after the start of a war that killed thousands of people and forced millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes.
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He said what Russia calls a special military operation is going "according to plan." while there was no sign of any softening in its aggression against the West and Ukraine.
"In the near future, it is possible that the pro-Nazi regime in Kiev could get its hands on weapons of mass destruction, and its target, of course, would be Russia[/B]," he said.
He said Western countries want to turn Russia into a "weak dependent country, to violate its territorial integrity, to dismember Russia in a way that suits them." If the West thought Russia would break or retreat "they don't know our history or our people," Putin said on the 21st day of the war."
"Behind the hypocritical words and current actions of the self-proclaimed collective West lie hostile geopolitical goals. They simply do not want a strong and sovereign Russia."
[/P]He also said that Russia is ready to discuss Ukraine's neutrality status in the talks: "The question of principle for our country and its future - the neutrality of Ukraine, its demilitarization and denazification - we were and are ready to discuss them as part of the negotiations."
Ukraine says it is available to negotiate an end to the war, but will not surrender or accept Russian ultimatums.
In his most explicit admission of the blow inflicted by Western sanctions, Putin said inflation and unemployment would rise, and the economy would need structural changes. But he promised to support families with children. He said the West had effectively declared Russia bankrupt as part of its sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, but the conflict was only a pretext for the West to impose those sanctions.
"The West is not even trying to hide its goal to hurt the entire Russian economy, every Russian," Putin said, speaking of the West's attempt to nullify Russia.
Speaking of imposing an economic blietzkrig from the West on Russia, which he said will not succeed, he said he intends to raise wages and pensions, and private companies must contribute to the effort. He said he would respect the right to property and said that seizures of Russian assets in the West should be a lesson to Russian businesses.
He said that the Central Bank would not need to print money.
He also noted that Western sanctions have proven that foreign exchange and gold reserves can be "stolen," and questioned who will be responsible for the millions of deaths that will result worldwide from hunger.
Source: CNA
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