He has blamed the escalation of the Ukraine battle on Western capitals.

Moscow:

President Vladimir Putin stated at this time Russia was combating for its “historic” lands in Ukraine, talking at a state-organised patriotic rally in Moscow in help of the Ukraine offensive. 

“I simply heard from the highest army management of the nation {that a} battle is ongoing proper now, for our historic lands, for our folks,” Putin stated.

In a brief tackle to the tens of 1000’s gathered at Moscow’s major Luzhniki stadium, Putin additionally praised Russian servicemen in Ukraine who’re “combating heroically, courageously, bravely: we’re pleased with them”. 

The viewers, waving Russian flags, braved chilly winter temperatures of -15 levels Celsius (5 levels Fahrenheit), to come back watch patriotic performances and speeches.

They had been attending the “Glory to the Defenders of the Fatherland” live performance, held on the eve of the eponymous Russian public vacation, and two days earlier than the anniversary of the Ukraine offensive.

Rock star Grigory Leps opened the present with a music in honour of Russia, with pictures of “The Motherland Calls” statue within the southern metropolis of Volgograd displayed on screens across the stadium.

Organisers introduced on stage youngsters from the Ukrainian Donbas, together with from the port metropolis of Mariupol, which was devastated by a protracted siege earlier than Russia captured it.

Ukraine has accused Russia of kidnapping 1000’s of Ukrainian youngsters from territories it controls, one thing Moscow has denied, insisting it organised authorized adoptions.

Officers from the Ukrainian areas that Moscow claims to have annexed had been additionally on the stadium and spoke to Russian state-run media.

“The West is an confederate to (Ukrainian) warfare crimes” stated Denis Pushilin, the Kremlin-appointed chief of the Donetsk area. He reiterated Moscow’s claims of “nazi ideology” governing the Ukrainian authorities.

Putin alleged that the therapy of Russian audio system within the nation is comparable with the actions of Nazi Germany when he launched his particular army operation there.

He has blamed the escalation of the Ukraine battle on Western capitals, which have backed Kyiv financially and militarily.

After dealing with, a sequence of humiliating defeats on the battlefield, the Kremlin has began to characterise its offensive as a wider battle towards the West, the equal of the “Nice Patriotic Struggle” towards Nazi Germany.

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