Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk has stated that the comments made by Russian President, Vladimir Putin in his state of the nation address should be taken seriously by the European bloc.
He laid emphasis on Putin’s warning to the West that it risks nuclear war if it sends soldiers to Ukraine.
Putin delivered his state of the nation address today, Thursday, February 29, 2024.
In his address, he covered the war in Ukraine, threat of NATO expansion, Russian nuclear capabilities, the declining birthrate and support for large families.
Referring to Putin’s speech, Tusk said, “Not only the aggressive rhetoric but also the decisions that Putin announced – to increase Russia’s self-sufficiency, transfer the economy to a military footing, modernise the army – all this should be taken absolutely seriously.”
Tusk asserted that Europe must understand that the “arms race” that Russia is imposing on the world obliges the West to wake up and prepare from a military point of view for potential threats.
“The European Union must make decisions that balance Russia’s military capabilities and make Europe better prepared for bad scenarios,” Tusk added.
However, European Commission spokesperson, Peter Stano said at a briefing in Brussels that Putin’s message to the Federal Assembly continues “a well-known lie.”
He was reported as saying that Putin’s speech “should be looked at in the context of the upcoming presidential elections in Russia.”
“This is part of Putin’s efforts for re-election,” he said.
“This is another opportunity for him to spread well-known lies. He continues to deceive his own nation and mislead the public abroad, because there are those who still continue to listen to him,” Stano added.
He also called all of Putin’s threats against Europe and the rest of the world, including nuclear ones, absolutely unacceptable and inappropriate.
“Putin is deceiving the nation, the nation lives under an iron fist and Stalin-style repression, the army is in a catastrophic state, the economy is collapsing, the country’s credibility is completely destroyed and his efforts to destroy Ukraine have failed.”
Peter Stano
European Parliament Calls For Transfer Of Ukraine’s Requirements For Victory
Also on Thursday, the European Parliament approved a resolution, calling for the transfer to Ukraine “everything necessary for victory,” including long-range missiles and frozen Russian assets.
This document was supported by 451 parliamentarians. Another 46 deputies opposed it and 49 abstained.
The text of the adopted resolution noted that the main goal of supporting Ukraine is that it must win the war, thereby preventing serious consequences for the whole world.
According to the authors of the document, all leaders of authoritarian countries are watching the war and assessing their capabilities for pursuing an aggressive foreign policy.
Moreover, The European Parliament pronounced Putin responsible for opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s death.
“The Russian government and Vladimir Putin personally bear criminal and political responsibility for the death of their most prominent opponent, Alexei Navalny,” the parliament said in a resolution passed with 506 votes in the 705-seat assembly.
It added that Putin “should be held accountable.”
Only nine lawmakers voted against the resolution.
The lawmakers also called for an “independent and transparent international investigation” into the circumstances of Navalny’s death.
Separately, Ladislav Hamran, the Head of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, also known as Eurojust, opined that Russia aims to destroy Ukraine’s existence.
“When the invasion began, President Putin made no secret of the fact that his goal was to destroy the identity and culture of the Ukrainian nation,” he said.
Hamran added that judging by the crimes committed against the cultural heritage of Ukraine, Russia “is trying not only to destroy Ukrainian traditions and culture, but also the right of Ukrainians to exist.”
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