Russia's strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness for use! Putin, Ukraine

President of Russian Federation. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Thank you. Welcome. Good afternoon. The so-called West, with its colonial habits, with its habit of inciting national conflicts around the world, seeks not only to restrain our development. Instead of Russia, they need a dependent, fading, dying space where they can do whatever they want. In essence, they would like to do to Russia the same thing that they have done in many other regions of the world, including Ukraine: they want to

bring discord into our home, to weaken us from within. But they miscalculated; today this is an absolutely obvious thing. They encountered the firm position and determination of our multinational people. Our soldiers and officers, Christians and Muslims, Buddhists and followers of Judaism, representatives of different ethnic groups, cultures, regions, in fact, have proven better than a thousand words that the centuries-old cohesion and unity of the people of Russia is a colossal all-conquering f

orce. All together, shoulder to shoulder, they fight for our common Motherland. We, citizens of Russia, we will all together defend our freedom, the right to a peaceful and dignified life. We will exclusively determine our own path, protect the connection of generations, and therefore the continuity of historical development, solve the problems that face our country, based on our worldview, our traditions, beliefs that we will pass on to our children. Dear friends. The defense and strengthening

of our sovereignty is taking place today in all directions, and, first of all, of course, at the front, where our soldiers fight steadfastly and selflessly. I thank all those who are now fighting for the interests of the Fatherland, who are going through the difficulties of military trials, who risk their lives every day. The whole people bows before their feat. We mourn the dead. And Russia will always remember its fallen heroes. A minute of silence is announced. Thank you. Our Armed Forces hav

e gained enormous combat experience. This concerns the interaction of all types and branches of troops, modern tactics and operational art. A whole galaxy of talented commanders have grown and been trained who take care of people, competently carry out their tasks, use new equipment, and successfully solve the tasks assigned to them. And, I want to say that this is at all levels: from the platoon and the operational level to the highest level of management. We see where and what problems we have

, of course we have them. But at the same time, we understand what needs to be done. And such work is carried out continuously both at the front and in the rear. It is aimed at increasing the striking power of our army and navy, at increasing their technology and efficiency. The combat capabilities of our Armed Forces have increased many times over. Our military units firmly hold the initiative, they confidently advance in a number of operational directions, and they liberate new territories. We

did not start the war in Donbass. But, as I have said more than once, we will do everything to finish it, to eradicate Nazism, solve all the tasks of the special military operation, and protect the sovereignty and safety of our citizens. Our strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness for guaranteed use. What we planned in the field of armaments, which I spoke about in my 2018 Address, has all been done, or this work is being completed. Thus, the Kinzhal hypersonic aviation comple

x has not only been put into service, but it is also used with high efficiency to destroy particularly important targets during a special military operation. Also, the Zircon sea-based hypersonic strike complex, which was not even discussed in my 2018 Address, has already been used in combat, but this system is already in service. Avangard intercontinental-range hypersonic missiles and Peresvet laser systems are on combat duty. Tests of the unlimited-range cruise missile Burevestnik and the unma

nned underwater vehicle Poseidon are being completed. I can say without exaggeration that these systems have confirmed their high and unique characteristics. The first serial Sarmat heavy ballistic nuclear missiles were also delivered to the troops. We will soon demonstrate them in operational deployment areas. Work on a number of other promising weapons systems continues. And we will still learn about new achievements of our scientists and gunsmiths. Russia is ready for dialogue with the United

States of America on issues of strategic stability. But, dear colleagues, I would like to emphasize the following thing so that everyone understands me correctly: in this case we are dealing with a state whose ruling circles are taking open hostile actions against us. So what should we do? Are they seriously going to discuss issues of strategic stability with us, while at the same time trying to inflict, as they themselves say, a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield? I can give a clear

example of such hypocrisy. For example, recently there have been more and more unfounded accusations against Russia that we are supposedly going to place nuclear weapons in space. Such falsehoods, and this is nothing more than falsehoods, are a ploy only to drag us into negotiations on our own terms, which are beneficial exclusively to the United States. At the same time, they are blocking our proposal, which has been on their table for more than 15 years. I mean the draft treaty on preventing

the placement of weapons in outer space, which we prepared back in 2008. There is no reaction. What are they talking about? This is not at all clear. Therefore, we have every reason to believe that the words of today’s American authorities about their alleged interest in negotiations with us on issues of strategic stability are demagoguery. With the US presidential election approaching, they just want to show their citizens, but also everyone else, that they still rule the world. They say that o

n those issues where it is beneficial for America to negotiate, they will conduct a conversation with the Russians, and where it is not profitable for them, there is nothing to discuss, as they themselves say, business as usual, there they will strive to defeat us. But, of course, this will not happen. Our position is clear. If you want to discuss important issues of security and stability that are important for the entire planet, then you need to do this only in a single complex, naturally, inc

luding all those aspects that affect our national interests and that directly affect the security of our country, the security of Russia. We also understand that the West is trying to drag us into an arms race, thereby exhausting us, repeating the trick that they succeeded in the 1980s with the Soviet Union. Let me remind you that in 1981-1988, military expenditures of the USSR amounted to 13 percent of the gross national product. Therefore, our task is to develop the defense-industrial complex

in such a way as to increase the scientific, technological, and industrial potential of the country. We need to distribute resources as rationally as possible and build an effective economy for our Armed Forces. We need to strive to get the maximum out of every ruble invested in defense. It is important for us to increase the pace in solving social, demographic, infrastructure and other problems, and at the same time we need to reach a qualitatively new level of equipment for the army and navy.

First of all, this concerns general-purpose forces, the principles of their organization, the supply of unmanned strike systems, air defense and electronic warfare systems, reconnaissance and communications, high-precision and other weapons to the troops. It is necessary to seriously strengthen the groupings in the western strategic direction in order to neutralize the threats associated with the next expansion of NATO to the east, with the involvement of Sweden and Finland in the alliance. The

West has provoked conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and other regions of the world, and it continues to lie. Now, without any embarrassment, they declare that Russia allegedly intends to attack Europe. You and I understand that they are simply talking nonsense. And at the same time, they themselves choose targets for striking our territory, they choose what they think are the most effective means of destruction. They started talking about the possibility of sending NATO military contingents

to Ukraine. But we remember the fate of those who once sent their troops to the territory of our country. But now the consequences for possible interventionists will be much more tragic. In the end, they must understand, they know about it, I just said it, that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. And everything that they are coming up with now, what they are doing to scare the whole world, all of this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and the

refore the destruction of civilization. Don't they understand this? Or what? You know, these are the people who have not gone through difficult trials, they have already forgotten what war is. Even our current generation has gone through such difficult trials during the fight against international terrorism in the Caucasus. Now, in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, the same thing is happening. And they think that all this is some kind of cartoon for them. What can I say? Indeed, Russophobi

a, like other ideology of racism, national superiority and exclusivity, it blinds them, it deprives them of reason. The actions of the United States and its satellites actually led to the dismantling of the European security system. This creates risks for everyone. It is obvious that it is necessary to work to form a new contour of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia in the foreseeable future. We are ready for a substantive conversation on this topic with all interested countries and assoc

iations. At the same time, I will again emphasize, I think, that today this is important for everyone: without a sovereign and strong Russia, no lasting world order is possible.