Putin: The Russian army is advancing in Ukraine on several fronts (French)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned Western countries that their threats to his country raise a "real danger" of a nuclear conflict, stressing that Moscow also possesses weapons that can "strike" the territories of those countries.
Putin explained - in his annual address to the nation - that “they (the West) must realize that Russia also has weapons capable of reaching and hitting targets on their territory,” and that “everything the West invents creates an actual danger of conflict using nuclear weapons,” indicating his belief that It is important for his country to strengthen its relations with Arab countries and Latin American countries.
The Russian President also said that Moscow is ready to enter into a dialogue with the United States regarding strategic stability, but stressed the rejection of any attempts to "force" his country to enter into such talks.
"Progress and priorities"
Regarding his war in Ukraine, the Russian President said that "the combat capabilities of the Russian Armed Forces have increased significantly" and that his army has strengthened its combat capabilities and is advancing "confidently" across various fronts.
This comes amid Russian talk about Moscow's success in making progress in the Ukrainian fighting axes and reports that Putin currently appears to be in a better position than he was a year ago when Russian forces were suffering losses in southern and northeastern Ukraine following their attempts to control the capital, Kiev, in 2022.
His address to the nation also comes on the eve of the funeral of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who died on February 16 in prison under mysterious circumstances, as a result of which Western countries held Russia responsible for his death.
In his annual speech to the country's political and military elite, Putin also regularly talks about his country's priorities and strategy, which comes today about two weeks before presidential elections.
Since the beginning of this year, and in light of the presidential election campaign, Putin has been intensifying his appearance, participating in various events, including his visit to a bomber belonging to the Russian nuclear deterrent forces.
In his 2023 speech, Putin accused the West of using the conflict in Ukraine to "end" Russia, repeating his theory of accusing Western countries of supporting "neo-Nazi" forces in this neighboring country to strengthen an anti-Moscow state there.
Source: Agencies