Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a fiery speech to lawmakers in Moscow, accusing the West of escalating what he called a "Russophobic machine" and claiming that sanctions against Russia are setting records for both their scale and their ineffectiveness.
Putin's Remarks on Sanctions
Speaking at the Kremlin to deputies of the 8th State Duma as a Russian parliamentary election approaches, Putin stated: "The West has kicked the Russophobic machine into high gear, setting 'world records.' This is true in two ways: the number of so-called sanctions and their futility."
He argued that the sweeping economic restrictions have backfired, asserting that they cause greater harm to the countries that imposed them. "It's also true in the damage these sanctions inflict, first and foremost, on their authors and initiators, and on the peoples of some European and other countries," he added.
Defiance and Domestic Rallying
Putin framed the past five years as a decisive period in Russian history, saying: "The past five years, which incidentally were the period of your tenure, were difficult and extremely challenging for our country. It is, without any exaggeration, one of the decisive stages in our Fatherland's history, when the very fate, the future of our people is at stake."
He claimed that Western attempts to weaken Russia had failed. "Wishing to shake up the Russian state and split people apart in our country, they attempted to strangle our economy, the financial and banking system, and to undermine our capabilities in research and manufacturing, and education," he said.
Allegations Against the West
Putin also condemned Western support for Ukraine, levelling allegations about their tactics. "Moreover, unable to defeat Russia on the battlefield, they are staking on flagrantly terrorist methods of fighting against our people. But the people of Russia will never bend to anyone's will. It has never happened and it will never happen," he declared.
Addressing the ongoing conflict, which Moscow continues to term a "special military operation," the Russian leader maintained that his forces were fighting heroically for their homeland. "Participants in the special military operation are fighting heroically for Russia and their ancestral home. Our entire nation and society support them. We will achieve our goals and do everything for victory and for Russia," he said.
Election Context
The speech marked the completion of the State Duma's five-year term and sought to rally domestic support ahead of the upcoming elections by casting Russia as a defender of a shifting global power balance. Putin insisted that "the contours of a new world order are being shaped in a struggle and intense competition."
