Your current location:HOME >business >West accused of dragging Russia into arms race 正文
TIME:2024-05-07 17:21:38 Source: Internet compilationEdit:business
Western countries attempted to draw Russia into an arms race while seeking to weaken it from within,
Western countries attempted to draw Russia into an arms race while seeking to weaken it from within, but unsuccessfully, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his more than two-hour-long state-of-the-nation address on Thursday.
"They essentially would like to do to Russia exactly what they did to many other regions of the world, including Ukraine: bring discord to our home and weaken us from within. But they miscalculated," the president said.
Putin made the remarks at his 19th state-of-the-nation address in Moscow. According to Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president had been working on the text of the address personally this year, and has had "dozens of phone and face-to-face contacts" with ministers, deputy prime ministers and other government officials.
About 1,000 people were invited to the ceremony. They included members of both houses of Russia's parliament, government and presidential administration officials, heads of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts, members of the State Council and Public Chamber, governors, representatives of religious organizations, diplomats, and journalists, including foreign ones.
In his address, Putin told Western countries on Thursday they risked provoking a nuclear war if they sent troops to fight in Ukraine, warning that Moscow had the weapons to strike targets in the West.
"Western nations must realize that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don't they get that?" said Putin, highlighting Russia's vastly modernized nuclear arsenal.
"Strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness," he said, noting that new-generation hypersonic nuclear weapons he first spoke about in 2018 had either been deployed or were at a stage where development and testing were being completed.
Visibly angry, Putin suggested Western politicians recall the fate of those like Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler and France's Napoleon Bonaparte who had unsuccessfully invaded Russia in the past.
"But now the consequences will be far more tragic," said Putin, accusing Western politicians of forgetting what real war meant because they had not faced the same security challenges as Russians had in the last three decades.
Putin accused the West of forcing Russia into an arms race and said Moscow's "strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness for use", though he warned that a global nuclear conflict would "destroy civilization".
"They (in the West) should finally understand — and I just told them — that we too have weapons that can destroy targets on their territories," he said.
Moving to domestic policies, Putin announced a slew of new national projects, including those providing state financial support to Russian families and youth, as well as job skills training in the high-tech sector.
Outpacing US economy
He also said that Russia's economy grew at a rate higher than the global average in 2023, outpacing that of the United States and other G7 countries despite facing a wide array of sanctions and being cut off from Western markets.
Putin set out Russia's production goals for 2030, calling on domestic manufacturers to ramp up production of high-tech goods by 150 percent. Among other priority areas for boosting domestic manufacturing, he listed consumer products, medicine and automobiles.
He urged companies to keep their assets in the country by promising "minimal" and "risk-oriented" business inspections starting in 2025, while also calling for an amnesty for small businesses accused of tax evasion.
By the end of his address, Putin made clear that he sees Russia's military victory over Ukraine as the true measure of the country's success and the key to its future. "I believe in our victories and success and in the future of Russia," Putin said.
One natural gas transport plan killed in New Jersey as another forges ahead2024-05-07 17:20
Rockies lefty Freeland appears to injure right shoulder while pinch2024-05-07 17:02
Xi meets Merieux Foundation president and his wife2024-05-07 16:45
'Xi Jinping on the Belt and Road Initiative' informs and inspires readers in Chile2024-05-07 16:05
Happy birthday Archie! As the young royal turns five today2024-05-07 16:04
Pache's single, Harper's catch in 10th inning lift Phillies past Rockies2024-05-07 15:59
China moves to make financing easier for small businesses2024-05-07 15:30
With 'functional' beverages, brands push drinks that do more than taste good2024-05-07 15:03
Signatures submitted for 'top two' primary election in Republican2024-05-07 15:03
The marathon task of trying America's most famous man: Trump 'smirked' as he became the first ex2024-05-07 14:46
Who is youngest2024-05-07 17:20
Chinese traditional music charms Maltese audience2024-05-07 17:10
MPs are urged to finally pass the Rwanda bill after 535 migrants cross the Channel on Sunday2024-05-07 16:44
Israel confirms killing of Hamas' deputy military commander2024-05-07 16:18
The number of fish on US overfishing list reaches an all2024-05-07 15:53
11 killed in suspected IS attack in Syrian desert region: war monitor2024-05-07 15:41
Masseur, 47, 'rapes British pensioner, 71, after massaging her' in Portugal2024-05-07 15:11
Rescuers battling forest fire in China's Sichuan2024-05-07 15:00
Radek Faksa scores in return, Stars oust defending Stanley Cup champ Golden Knights 22024-05-07 14:52
Record foreign visitors to Japan reported in February2024-05-07 14:46