As reported by Reuters, Putin emphasised that few want such a catastrophic consequence.
The battle in Ukraine has sparked probably the most vital disaster in Moscow’s relations with the West because the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Putin has steadily highlighted the hazards of nuclear battle however maintains that he has not thought of deploying nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Additionally Learn: Vladimir Putin wins Russian presidential elections, says ‘would strengthen military’ in victory speech
Reuters reported that French President Emmanuel Macron final month mentioned he couldn’t rule out the deployment of floor troops in Ukraine sooner or later, with many Western international locations distancing themselves from that whereas others, particularly in Japanese Europe, expressed assist.
Requested by Reuters about Macron’s remarks and the dangers and chance of a battle between Russia and NATO, Putin quipped: “Every thing is feasible within the trendy world.”
Additionally Learn: Russia Vs The West: Two and a half decades in power, is Vladimir Putin still winning?
“It’s clear to everybody, that this can be one step away from a full-scale World Battle Three. I feel hardly anybody is on this,” Putin advised reporters after profitable the biggest-ever landslide in post-Soviet Russian historical past.
Putin added, although, that NATO navy personnel have been current already in Ukraine, saying that Russia had picked up each English and French being spoken on the battlefield.
“There’s nothing good on this, to begin with for them, as a result of they’re dying there and in giant numbers,” he mentioned.
Earlier than the Russian election scheduled for March 15-17, Ukraine escalated its assaults in opposition to Russia by shelling border areas and using proxies in makes an attempt to breach Russia’s borders.
When questioned about the potential of seizing Ukraine’s Kharkiv area, Putin responded that if the assaults persevered, Russia would set up a buffer zone utilizing extra Ukrainian territory to safeguard Russian territory.
Additionally Learn: ‘Russophobia is promoted as state policy in European countries,’ says Vladimir Putin
“I don’t exclude that, making an allowance for the tragic occasions going down at the moment, we can be compelled in some unspecified time in the future, once we deem it acceptable, to create a sure ‘sanitary zone’ within the territories at the moment beneath the Kyiv regime,” Putin mentioned.
He avoided offering extra specifics however indicated that such a zone would possibly have to be sizable sufficient to stop foreign-manufactured weapons from reaching Russian territory.
Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a serious European conflict after eight years of battle in jap Ukraine between Ukrainian forces on one facet and pro-Russian Ukrainians and Russian proxies on the opposite.
‘France might play a job..’
Reuters reported that Putin mentioned he wished Macron would cease looking for to worsen the conflict in Ukraine however to play a job to find peace: “Evidently France might play a job. All will not be misplaced but.”
“I have been saying it over and over and I am going to say it once more. We’re for peace talks, however not simply because the enemy is operating out of bullets,” Putin mentioned.
“In the event that they actually, significantly, wish to construct peaceable, good-neighbourly relations between the 2 states in the long run, and never merely take a break for rearmament for 1.5-2 years.”
US Democracy
Putin dismissed US and Western criticism of the election, which the White Home mentioned was not free and truthful, saying US elections weren’t democratic and criticising using state energy in opposition to Donald Trump.
“The entire world is laughing at what is going on there,” Putin mentioned of the USA. “It’s only a disaster – it’s not democracy – what on earth is it?”
When requested in regards to the destiny of opposition chief Alexei Navalny, who died in unexplained circumstances at a Russian jail within the Arctic on Feb. 16, Putin mentioned he had merely “handed away” utilizing Navalny’s identify for one of many first occasions in public.
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Putin mentioned he had agreed a number of days earlier than Navalny’s dying to swap him. Reuters reported in February {that a} prisoner alternate deal had been agreed for Navalny shortly earlier than his dying, Reuters reported.
“I mentioned: ‘I’m agreed’,” Putin mentioned about his approval for the prisoner swap. “I had one situation – we alternate him however he by no means returns.”
Navalny’s widow, Yulia, has accused Putin of killing her husband. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised reporters that declare was merely flawed.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Printed: 18 Mar 2024, 07:47 AM IST
