Vast Majority of Russians Supported Special Military Operation in Ukraine, Says Putin

The Russian leader expressed his gratitude to all Russian soldiers for their heroic efforts in the course of the special military operation in Ukraine

© Ramil Sitdikov/POOL/TASS

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. The vast majority of Russians have taken a principled stance in support of the special military operation in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday in his annual address to the Federal Assembly.

"I am proud and believe that we are all proud that our multinational people, the vast majority of our citizens, took a principled stance regarding the special military operation, grasped the meaning of what we are doing and voiced their support of our actions to protect Donbass," he said.

"A real sense of patriotism emerged as the prime reason for this outward support, a feeling that is historically inherent in our people. It astounds you with its dignity and deep awareness of each - I emphasize each - of their own destiny with the destiny of their Fatherland," Putin stressed.

"Dear friends, I would like to thank the people of Russia for their courage and determination," the Russian president stated.

Putin expressed his gratitude to all Russian soldiers for their heroic efforts in the course of the special military operation in Ukraine.

"I would like to thank our heroes - Navy and Army soldiers and officers, Russian National Guardsmen, the staff of special services and all law enforcement bodies, fighters of the Donetsk and Lugansk corps, volunteers, patriots, who are fighting in the Bars army combat reserve," he continued. "I would like to extend my apologies for being unable to name everyone on the list during today’s address."

"You should know that when I worked on the text of this address I included an extremely long list of these heroic formations, but then decided against including it, because, as I have said, it is impossible to name everyone involved and I was just afraid that I would offend someone by leaving them out," Putin noted.

"My deepest bows to the parents, wives, and families of our defenders, doctors and paramedics, nurses, who save the wounded; railway workers and [transportation] drivers, who supply the battlefront; construction workers, who erect fortifications, rebuild houses, roads, civilian facilities; workers and engineers of defense-oriented plants, who work round-the-clock in endless shifts; farmers, who we depend on to ensure the country’s food security."

Putin also expressed his gratitude to teachers who take it upon themselves to take care of Russia’s young generations, "especially those teachers who actually keep working under complicated conditions near the battlefront."

The Russian president also praised the contribution of volunteers and journalists, particularly war correspondents, who risk their lives carrying out their duties on the battlefront in order to tell the truth to the world, as well as the contribution of pastors of Russia’s traditional religions, military priests, civil servants and businessmen.

Russia’s special military operation

On February 21, 2022, President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow was recognizing the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, (the DPR and LPR respectively). Russia signed agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with their leaders. Moscow recognized the Donbass republics in accordance with the DPR and LPR constitutions within the boundaries of the Donetsk and Lugansk Regions as of the beginning of 2014.

Russian President Putin announced on February 24, 2022, that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics for assistance, he had decided to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine. The DPR and the LPR launched an operation to liberate their territories under Kiev’s control.

From September 23 to September 27, 2022, the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic as well as the Kherson Region and the Zaporozhye Region held a referendum where the majority of voters opted to join Russia.

On September 30, 2022, President Putin and the heads of the DPR, the LPR, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions signed treaties on their entry to Russia. Later, the State Duma and the Federation Council (the lower and upper houses of Russia’s parliament) approved legislation on ratifying these treaties, as well as federal constitutional laws on the accession of the four regions to Russia.

Bill suspending Russia’s participation in New START treaty goes to parliament — speaker

The treaty between Russia and the US stipulates the reduction of the two countries’ nuclear arsenals

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted a bill suspending Russia's participation in the New START treaty to the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, its speaker Vyacheslav Volodin told reporters on Tuesday.

"The president has submitted to the State Duma a draft federal law ‘On suspension of the Russian Federation’s participation in the treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms,’" he said.

Volodin also told that the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, will consider the bill on suspension of Russia’s participation in the New START treaty during its session on Wednesday, February 22. "We will review the bill, submitted by the president, during the State Duma plenary session tomorrow, and will make a decision on it right away. Immediately after, it will go to the Federation Council [the upper chamber of Russia’s parliament]," he said.

The draft bill has been submitted to the State Duma’s committees on international affairs and defense.

The treaty between Russia and the US stipulates the reduction of the two countries’ nuclear arsenals. The decision to suspend Moscow’s participation in the document was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his State of the Nation Address delivered earlier on Tuesday. He stressed that before resuming discussions on further work within the framework of the treaty, Russia would like to clarify how the arsenals of other NATO nuclear powers - Great Britain and France - would be counted in the treaty alongside the US’ nuclear potential.

The Kremlin said later that Moscow had not notified its Washington colleagues about the decision beforehand. The US administration replied that it would closely follow the situation and was ready to discuss limitations of strategic weapons with Russia.

West’s image as safe haven 'an illusion,' Putin says

According to the Russian president, his prediction that Russian businessmen will have "to swallow the dust" trying to save their money came true

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Recent events proved that the West’s image as a safe haven for capital was just an illusion, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly on Tuesday.

"Recent developments made it perfectly clear that the West’s image as a safe haven and a shelter for capital has turned out to be an illusion. Those who failed to understand this in time, who viewed Russia only as a source of income and planned to mostly reside overseas, lost a lot. They were simply robbed there and even their legally earned money was taken from them," Putin noted.

According to the Russian president, his prediction that Russian businessmen will have "to swallow the dust" trying to save their money came true. Putin called on Russian entrepreneurs to make money at home, adding that there was no point trying to retrieve any assets of theirs that had been frozen overseas.

Russia doesn't need to beg for funds abroad thanks to healthy balance sheet — Putin

The president added that Russian banks are operating steadily and the volume of bank loans to the corporate sector in 2022 increased by 14% compared to 2021

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Russia does not need to borrow and "beg" for funds abroad thanks to a robust balance sheet, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly on Tuesday.

"New sources of financing and investment are the most important issue on the agenda for developing economic growth. We also talk about this a lot. Thanks to a strong balance of payments, Russia does not need to borrow abroad, bow down, beg for money and then have a long dialogue about what, how much and on what conditions to give back," Putin said.

He added that Russian banks are operating steadily and the volume of bank loans to the corporate sector in 2022 increased by 14% compared to 2021.

West wages war against Russia on economic front — Putin

"What means were used against us in this sanctions aggression? Attempts were made to rupture business ties with Russian companies, disconnect the financial system from communication channels to smash our economy, deprive us of access to export markets and to hit revenues," the president said

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. The West has begun to wage war against Russia on the economic front but will not achieve anything, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly on Tuesday.

"The West has attacked us not merely on the military and information front, but also the economic front. Nevertheless, it has not achieved anything and will not achieve anything," Putin said.

"The initiators of sanctions are only hurting themselves," the Russian leader said. "They provoked price hikes, job losses, plant shutdowns and economic crises in their countries. And they tell their citizens - we hear this - that this is entirely the fault of the Russians," Putin added.

"What means were used against us in this sanctions aggression? Attempts were made to rupture business ties with Russian companies, disconnect the financial system from communication channels to smash our economy, deprive us of access to export markets and to hit revenues. This is also the theft, I cannot say otherwise, of our currency reserves. Attempts to collapse the ruble and trigger devastating inflation," Putin said.