February 21, 2023 - 11:37am
Vladimir Putin today held his first State of the Nation speech since launching his vastly expanded invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The Russian President did not announce any new overriding agenda — though the subtext of his speech made clear that he sees the conflict as a long-term one. When starting the campaign, Putin referred to it as a ‘special military operation’ and barred referring to it as a war. No longer. Putin himself repeatedly used the once-forbidden word in his address.
This was, in effect, Putin’s rallying cry to unite behind the war, which he implicitly acknowledged would not be short. The conflict was a running theme throughout his address, even during the portions that were seemingly unrelated. The speech was an opportunity for him to recount his narrative of the war and blame the West for its inception, arguing that its support for Ukraine’s post-2014 governments, NATO expansion efforts, and development of new missile defence technologies formed an ‘anti-Russia’ revanchist agenda. He also claimed that he had only intervened in Ukraine to defend the people of the Donbas region, which contains the Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts.
Putin argued that his war was not with the Ukrainian nation, but, rather, with the West. The only justification he gave for why the war has expanded so far beyond the Donbas — including his stated annexation of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts even when Russian forces never controlled a majority of their combined territory — was because of the supply of Western weaponry. He claimed that “the more long-range weaponry the West supplies to Kyiv, the further we will be forced to drive those weapons away from our borders”.
Putin also sought to emphasise what he sees as the cultural gulf between Russia and the West. Less than 20 minutes in, he went off on a tangent to argue that the West was “legalising paedophilia” and that the Anglican Church’s supposed decision to consider a “gender-neutral God” was evidence of its “degradation” and “insanity”. He also renewed his claims that the Ukrainian government was illegitimate and that it is willing to use “terrorists, Nazis, and the devil himself” in its fight-back against the invasion. He did not, however, outline any changes on how he plans to pursue the war.
Putin only later turned to bread-and-butter issues, including tweaks to taxes and the raising of Russia’s minimum wage by 10%. But even these were cast in the context of Ukraine’s annexed territories, as he stated benefits that would help integrate them. Putin did mention the West’s sanctions, effectively welcoming them and mocking the idea that they would significantly impact the Russian economy. This included a message for Russia’s oligarchs, as he claimed that he had forewarned them of the West’s seizure of their assets, calling on them to instead invest in his vision for Russia.
His only major announcement was left towards the end of his 90-minute speech, that Russia will be formally suspending participation in the New START Treaty, the only significant arms control agreement with the US. This was more of an acknowledgement of reality than a new policy: Washington had accused Russia of non-compliance last month. Nevertheless, Putin insisted he was still dedicated to pursuing its resumption and peace more broadly. But with no changes to his approach in Ukraine outlined, and a doubling-down on plans to proceed with annexation, it is clear he still believes he can win peace on the battlefield, no matter how long it takes.
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SubscribeI’ve just finished Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin by Clifford Gaddy and Fiona Hill. This was written in 2015, but even then what Putin is doing and saying now was entirely predictable. From his worldview he is acting entirely rationally and consistently. We may not like or agree with his worldview, but neither should we assume that the Western worldview and methods are in any sense pure and good. When the whole world operates by PSYOPS and bending truth to suit their so-called righteous narrative we are in a serious pickle.
I’ve just finished Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin by Clifford Gaddy and Fiona Hill. This was written in 2015, but even then what Putin is doing and saying now was entirely predictable. From his worldview he is acting entirely rationally and consistently. We may not like or agree with his worldview, but neither should we assume that the Western worldview and methods are in any sense pure and good. When the whole world operates by PSYOPS and bending truth to suit their so-called righteous narrative we are in a serious pickle.
Putin argued that his war was not with the Ukrainian nation, but, rather, with the West
So, are we at war yet officially? Certainly sounds like it. And they are not renewing the arms agreements. Marvellous. The situation gets better by the day.
Putin argued that his war was not with the Ukrainian nation, but, rather, with the West
So, are we at war yet officially? Certainly sounds like it. And they are not renewing the arms agreements. Marvellous. The situation gets better by the day.
And those who called it a war and were imprisoned for their pains will no doubt remain in prison for the sin of forestalling Putin in declaring it to be a war. Just as the Soviets condemned the premature anti-Nazis who protested against Russia and Germany’s joint operation against Poland. No amnesty for them I fear.
And those who called it a war and were imprisoned for their pains will no doubt remain in prison for the sin of forestalling Putin in declaring it to be a war. Just as the Soviets condemned the premature anti-Nazis who protested against Russia and Germany’s joint operation against Poland. No amnesty for them I fear.
Well and truly Psychotic.
As his army fails ever more, he thinks he can somehow push his borders even further west.
Putin has to have been told how poorly his army is performing. That he still dreams of victory shows he has firmly turned his back on the real world.
You know it would be wise to look at the data more critically rather than just buy into Ukrainian/western propaganda hook line and sinker. The west and the US are beginning to sound more and more like Baghdad Bob. In assessing the situation, and especially one that could easily escalate into a nuclear exchange which would incinerate all of us in short order, it is probably smarter to look at information coming in from all sides, especially since the truth is likely to lie somewhere in the middle between the propaganda propagated by the Ukraine/US/UK on the one hand and Russia on the other.
And lastly, it would be far better if the West did not butt in to affairs that are of absolutely no concern to them. What happens in Ukraine does not impact the security of Western Europe or the US. But for sure, continuing this war, and the war will continue until the US decides to stop it, is racking in the greenbacks for the US arms manufacturers.
You know it would be wise to look at the data more critically rather than just buy into Ukrainian/western propaganda hook line and sinker. The west and the US are beginning to sound more and more like Baghdad Bob. In assessing the situation, and especially one that could easily escalate into a nuclear exchange which would incinerate all of us in short order, it is probably smarter to look at information coming in from all sides, especially since the truth is likely to lie somewhere in the middle between the propaganda propagated by the Ukraine/US/UK on the one hand and Russia on the other.
And lastly, it would be far better if the West did not butt in to affairs that are of absolutely no concern to them. What happens in Ukraine does not impact the security of Western Europe or the US. But for sure, continuing this war, and the war will continue until the US decides to stop it, is racking in the greenbacks for the US arms manufacturers.
Well and truly Psychotic.
As his army fails ever more, he thinks he can somehow push his borders even further west.
Putin has to have been told how poorly his army is performing. That he still dreams of victory shows he has firmly turned his back on the real world.
There were aspects of his speech which I would like to know more about..
For example, is it true that Russia is already rebuilding the areas they have secured (?) and is giving the citizens in these areas the same financial benefits in wages and pensions as those in Russia itself.
With the desertion of Western businesses and sanctions, are they now producing more of their needs from within the country and so, to some extent, we have suffered more than them..
Of course he ranted a lot against the West (President Biden doing the same in reverse), but I found his speech interesting as an insight into life within that vast country…
There were aspects of his speech which I would like to know more about..
For example, is it true that Russia is already rebuilding the areas they have secured (?) and is giving the citizens in these areas the same financial benefits in wages and pensions as those in Russia itself.
With the desertion of Western businesses and sanctions, are they now producing more of their needs from within the country and so, to some extent, we have suffered more than them..
Of course he ranted a lot against the West (President Biden doing the same in reverse), but I found his speech interesting as an insight into life within that vast country…