Putin rages against the West in major speech on Ukraine war; here are the key highlights

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday delivered a major annual state address at  Federal Assembly, Russia’s two-chamber Parliament. He underscored one-year progress and a detailed assessment of  “special military operation” in Ukraine. Speaking to Russia's elites, Putin said that a year ago, he ordered a military intervention in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region "to protect our people on historical lands," referring to ethnic Russian-speaking population in Ukraine's contentious territories. It is to be ted that Putin had earlier justified offensive, citing "nazism" threat in Kyiv and that his armed forces intended to "demilitarize" Russia's sourn neighbour.

Ordered military operation to 'de-nazify' Ukraine

During his speech on Tuesday, Putin invoked justification of assaults on Ukrainian soil, saying that operation was ordered to eliminate neo-Nazi regime of established [Zelenskyy] government across Ukraine. Putin stressed that a decision was made days ahead, and that "step by step we will carefully and consistently solve tasks set before us." Russian President furr accused  West of pumping weapons and training  Ukrainian nationalist battalions, referring to Ukraine's battalions' far-right volunteers and members or supporters of Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN-B) who have been leading combat operations in Kyiv. 

Since inception of war, Russians have accused Ukrainian battalions such as  Azov regiment fighters of adherence to ideology of whom y say 'Hitler’s henchmen' Stepan Bandera who survived in German Nazi concentration camp during WWII. Described as 'Banderites', some of Ukrainian battalions find ir roots in  mid-20th century insurgent movement, and were later incorporated into Ukrainian National Guard. y turned into  pretext for Putin's “special military operation." Russia links  establishment of 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of SS, also kwn as 1st Galician of Ukraine with "neo-nazism." 

"Armed Forces of Ukraine was recently given name 'Edelweiss' as a Nazi division that participated in deportation of Jews, executions of prisoners of war, and punitive operations. SS chevrons are very popular in Ukraine. Wehrmacht marks are applied to equipment," said Putin referring to insignia specific to Heer and senior Wehrmacht officers in Nazi Germany during WWII. 

'Putin says statements of Western leaders turned into a forgery and a lie

Speaking from Duma's podium, Putin launched a scathing attack on Western leaders, who backed Ukrainian nationalists with weapons and ammunition, saying that Russia "did everything possible to solve problem in Ukraine by peaceful means. But statements of Western leaders turned into a forgery and a lie." "[] promises and statements of Western leaders turned into 'forgery and cruel lies'. Even before start of operation, negotiations were underway between Ukraine and [NATO members] on supply of air defense systems and aircraft," Kremlin leader ted.

"We remember Kyiv's attempts to obtain nuclear weapons," he furrmore said. Putin spoke in context to when Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pushed for "need of pre-emptive strikes" against Russia, adding that NATO must cripply Russia so it is unable to deploy nukes first. “We need pre-emptive strikes so that y’ll kw what will happen to m if y use nukes, and t or way around, Don’t wait for Russia’s nuclear strikes, and n say, ‘Oh, since you did this, take that from us!”, Zelenskyy had said during nightly address. Putin derided Ukraine for "provocations" against Russia with help of United States and NATO military alliance. 

" United States deployed bases and biological laboratories near our borders mastered ater of military operations and prepared Ukraine for a big war," ted Russian President, referring to  analysis published by his Defense Ministry on bioweapons research labs operated by United States on Ukrainian territories.

Kyiv committed 'gecide' in Donbass, behaves like US-NATO

Putin accused Ukraine's military of crimes against humanity and gecide in eastern Donbass region, saying that it was "on fire and blood was shed, and Russia was sincerely striving for a peaceful solution." Putin n slammed  West, saying that it was "playing on people's lives, playing with 'marked cards.'" Russian President accused Zelenskyy of "behaving  same way" as its ally United States and NATO, who destroyed many countries—Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, and Syria. " concept of hour and decency is t for m," he said. 

President of Russian Federation stressed that Russia was "sincerely ready for a constructive dialogue" before launching a military operation. But that Kremlin received an "indistinct, hypocritical reaction." Putin accused NATO of "expanding to our borders" and that Western military Alliance, via ties with Ukraine, found new places on installation of new missile defenses "close to our borders." Russia received a refusal on all fundamental positions, said Putin, and n on Feb 24, "everything was ready for next punitive action in Donbass," ted Putin. 

'It is Y who started war; we used force to stop it'

Russia's President Putin, during his speech aired on Russian state television asserted that it was t Russia but Ukraine and its Western allies who started war. "Kyiv's actions completely contradicted UN resolutions," lambasted Putin. "It was y [Ukraine, US, NATO] who started war.  And we used force to stop it," said Putin, justifying military operation. Russian President also ted that had he t ordered military operation, Ukrainians would, eventually, try to attack annexed Russian territories. "Kyiv's next goal was to strike at Crimea and Sevastopol bases. w Kyiv is openly talking about it.  y revealed what we already knew so well," said Putin. 

West desires global hegemony; 'y spare effort to do coups, unrest, military operation worldwide'

Putin during state address accused Western countries of asserting global hegemony and destroying or nations. Stressing that Russia is "defending our home," Putin said that goal of West is "unlimited power on world." "y [US and its allies] have already spent more than $150 billion on arming Kyiv and defeating Russia. y [US, NATO] "spare expense to encour unrest and coups around world," said Putin. 

Russian President commented on  Munich Security Conference, saying that Russia was blamed "so that everyone would forget what West had done in recent decades." United States has reduced entire regions of world "to chaos," asserted Putin. As a result of wars unleashed by United States after 2001, more than 900 thousand people died, more than 38 million became refugees, Putin ted, adding that y are hurling "anti-Russia" propaganda via Ukraine. "This project goes back to 19th century, Austria-Hungary, Poland nurtured it to tear off historical territories from our country," said Putin. 

" West tried to collapse Ruble, provoke inflation, steal reserves, break production chains. goal of West is to make our citizens suffer and destabilize society from within. calculation was t justified," said Putin. 

Responsibility of escalation of war lies with West; ir weapons supply

" responsibility for escalation of conflict lies entirely with Western elites and Kyiv regime, for which Ukrainian people are a stranger," said Putin. " more long-range Western systems will come to Ukraine, furr we will be forced to move threat away from our borders," he added. "Goal of West is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, to end us once and for all. We will respond accordingly because we are talking about existence of our country," he ted. 

Russia cant be defeated on battlefield

Russia cant be defeated on battlefield, said Putin. " West will try to undermine and split our society. y rely on national traitors who exude poison of contempt for ir Farland. It has always been so," he ted. He furr hailed annexed regions of Ukraine, saying, "special words to residents of DPR and LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. You yourself have determined your future, made a firm choice."