Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 47,549
Thanks: 27,621
Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts
|
re: Ukraine Politicians & Civilians TORTURED in Russian Detention
Putin Warns Ukraine and Their Western Allies About Future of War: 'We Haven't Even Yet Started'
In a Thursday speech, Putin said that those who "reject" Russian offers "should know that the further it goes, the harder it will be for them to negotiate with us"
'We'll Get to Berlin' Vladimir Putin's Chechen Allies Threaten to Wage 'Jihad' on Europe -
Putin's Chechen warlord ally plans to bolster Russia's forces in Ukraine with 4 new battalions
AP 9 JUL 2022
More than four months into its continued invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin claims his country has only just begun its fight, which began on Feb. 24 and has since led to countless deaths of both Ukrainians and Russians.
"Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. What can you say, let them try," Putin said in a Thursday speech, adding: "We have heard many times that the West wants to fight us to the last Ukrainian. This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it seems that everything is heading towards this."
Elsewhere in his speech, Putin spoke with a hawkish tone, but still left the door open for negotiations, saying: "Everyone should know that, by and large, we haven't even yet started in earnest. At the same time, we don't reject peace talks."
He did offer a caveat, however, saying that those who "reject" Russian offers "should know that the further it goes, the harder it will be for them to negotiate with us."
Putin also offered a thinly veiled threat at those who he said "want to defeat us" on the battlefield: "Let them try."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine — which was ordered by Putin, with forces moving from the north, south and east — marked the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.
Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilian sites in its ongoing invasion, though footage and on-the-ground accounts suggest otherwise.
A montage shown by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a virtual address at the Capitol back in March depicted images of pre-war Ukraine with footage of the country now — large, colorful buildings reduced to rubble and images of smiling children replaced by tears, blood and bombs as the words "this is a murder" were displayed across the screen.
Still, Russia's offensive has shown numerous setbacks, with soldiers being met with fierce resistance from the Ukrainian people. Russia failed to capture the capital city of Kyiv or any other large cities early on its invasion of Ukraine, though it has taken control of many other parts of the country, engaging in what human rights organizations have deemed "war crimes" in the process.
The U.S., the European Union and Group of Seven countries have announced several punishments of Russia for the war, including some directed at the families of Putin and a few of his allies, cutting them off from any U.S. financial systems and freeing any assets they have within the U.S.
In his Thursday speech, Putin alleged the sanctions were aimed at "demoralizing" the Russian people, the Associated Press reports.
"The course of history is unstoppable, and attempts by the collective West to enforce its version of the global order are doomed to fail," Putin said, per the AP.
The invasion has drawn widespread condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia.
Various countries have also pledged aid or military support to Ukraine, whose president, Zelenskyy, has pleaded for peace talks while urging his country to resist.
Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the interest of so-called "peacekeeping" — a claim disputed by the west.
The Ukrainian volunteers using drones to defend against the Russians – BBC News
|