Russian President Vladimir Putin visited St. Petersburg, the site of a fierce battle with Nazi Germany in World War II, to mourn the victims.
He also said, ``It is very important to be able to respond to new threats to our country. .
St. Petersburg, the second largest city in Russia, known as Leningrad during World War II, was besieged by Nazi Germany for approximately 900 days from September 1941, resulting in hundreds of thousands of casualties. .
On the 18th, 80 years ago, the Soviet army broke through the siege of the city, leading to the complete liberation of the city the following year.
At the ceremony, Putin paid tribute to the victims by laying flowers at memorials and cemeteries built on the grounds where his father also fought.
In addition, President Putin gave a speech at the historical museum he visited, looking back on the war 80 years ago, saying, "I will immediately respond to new threats to our country so that the tragedy experienced in the Great Patriotic War never happens again." It is very important to be able to respond to
Furthermore, he touched on the current international situation and criticized the West, stating, "We continue to put pressure on our country with all-out war."
At a meeting with veterans, Putin said about Ukraine's eastern Donbass region: "We have been deceived. We have tried everything to settle it by peaceful means, but it has become clear that it was not possible. It became," he said, justifying once again that he embarked on a military invasion.
President Putin aims to appeal to the patriotism of the people by looking back on his past fierce battles and praising his achievements, and to show his stance of continuing the military invasion of Ukraine, ignoring the current criticism from the international community. It seems that there is also.