Russian President Vladimir Putin made evaluations about the tension between Russia and European countries and the war in Ukraine at the annual meeting of the International Valday Discussion Club held in the capital Moscow.
Stating that he supports the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry regarding Kaliningrad and the statements in the letters he sent to some countries, Putin said, "If there is a direct attack on Russia, including Kaliningrad, the issue of using all the weapons our country has will inevitably and immediately come to the agenda." he said.
Putin emphasized that they do not threaten any country and said, "We do not scare anyone. The statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the letters it sent to some countries are not intimidation, but a response to an attempt to intimidate us." he said.
Stating that European political leaders are dragging their citizens to the brink of a dangerous conflict with Russia, Putin pointed out that their statements can be taken out of context and used to claim that Russia threatens with nuclear weapons.
Putin stated that this aims to distract the attention of citizens in European countries from their own administration's aggressive policies towards Russia.
Emphasizing that they do not plan to attack anyone, Putin said, "We are planning neither in 2029, nor in 2030, nor in 2050, but if we encounter an attack, we will have to respond. Citizens of European countries should clearly understand this and distinguish between our attitude and the attitude of some political leaders in their countries." he said.
Putin said that European politicians have made statements about preparing for war with Russia in 2029 or 2030, and described the exercises in the Baltic Sea and attempts to detain Russian ships as steps that increase tension.
Stating that Russia is faced with a side with a population twice as large as Russia's and with a great economic and military potential, Putin stated that the power and tools they have against this threat will be limited, and therefore they will have to use their superiority.
Putin said, "No one else has the weapons that Russia has today. This is our advantage." he said.
Economic impact of Ukraine's attacks on refineries
Stating that Ukraine aimed to damage the economy by attacking Russian oil refineries, Putin said, "They partially achieved their goal. In response, we responded in the same way. We started attacking facilities important for their economy. We did not initiate this." he said.
Putin pointed out that Russia targeted ships carrying military cargo in the Black Sea, and noted that the secondary explosions that occurred on the hit ships showed the presence of these cargoes.
Reminding that Ukraine started attacking Russian tankers and other ships carrying civilian cargo at the beginning of June, Putin stated that more than 100 ships were damaged during the process.
Stating that more diesel fuel could be produced in Russia after the refinery attacks ended, Putin continued:
"There are bans and sanctions on our oil and petroleum products. There are sanctions on insurance, freight costs are increasing. How will our diesel reach the world market while sanctions continue? It will not. In return, we are expected to stop attacks on economically sensitive facilities. You will agree that this seems unreasonable."
Putin underlined that these issues can be discussed on the basis of mutual interests, and that they are in favor of protecting the freedom of navigation and the rules of international maritime law in all regions of the world.
Israeli attacks on Palestine
Emphasizing that the Palestine issue is "one of the most grave and sensitive humanitarian issues", Putin said, "As for the tragedy in Gaza, we are all well aware of the situation. Russia's attitude towards the Palestine issue is known to everyone and this attitude is not subject to variable short-term political considerations." he said.
While discussing the possibilities of a long-term solution, Putin pointed out that the basic approach to Palestine should be based on all decisions previously adopted by the United Nations (UN) Security Council and the UN General Assembly, and said, "Moreover, the establishment of a full-fledged Palestinian state should be the cornerstone and basis of such a solution." he said.
Referring to the negotiations held in Istanbul in 2022, Putin stated that Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement and said, "We really reached an agreement in Istanbul. There is the signature of the head of the Ukrainian negotiation delegation there. He initialed these agreements, which means Ukraine has generally accepted them." he said.
Putin said that Ukraine gave up on these agreements upon the suggestion of its "Western partners" and noted that the Ukrainian side later acknowledged that if the agreements in Istanbul had been implemented, "the war would have ended long ago."
