from missiles to “allies” to no to direct war

Ukraine attacks with weapons supplied by NATO and Russia responds: it is expected to supply missiles “to the regions of the world from where attacks will be launched on sensitive sites of those countries that supply weapons to Ukraine”, therefore the NATO territories. Russian President Vladimir Putin said this in an ANSA interview that lasted more than three hours on the occasion of the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg. But the reaction to the use of Western weapons would not imply an attack on the Atlantic Alliance: «You invented that Russia wants to attack NATO. Have you gone completely crazy? Look at our potential and that of NATO, we are not stupid, Russia has no imperial ambitions». Russia’s counterattack was also confirmed by the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, who reiterated that the supply of NATO weapons to the Ukrainian adversary «it will not remain without consequences».

NATO’s response: no danger of attack from Russia

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, however, believes an attack on the territories of the Atlantic alliance by Putin is unlikely: “There is no danger of an imminent attack against any NATO ally,” he told the press today in Helsinki, where he met the country’s leaders. «This idea that there is a sort of countdown towards the next war is wrong – adds the former head of the Norwegian government -. NATO is here to prevent this from happening, we have been doing it for 75 years » Then he adds: « Russia is now already worried about the war in Ukraine. He moved many forces from the vicinity of Finland and the northern countries towards Ukraine.”

From the war in Ukraine to relations with Italy

The focus of the interview in which journalists from all over the world were present was the conflict in Ukraine. Putin reiterated his position: Russia did not attack, but responded to Ukraine. «Everyone believes that Russia started the war but instead it started when there was the coup in Ukraine (February 2014 ed.)». And speaking of relations with European countries, which deteriorated following the attack on Ukraine in February 2022, Putin specifies that those with Italy are less tense: «it has a more contained position towards Russia than other European countries ». «In Italy – he adds – There is no caveman Russophobia spreading and we take it into consideration.” Then the hope for reconciliation with Italy: «We hope that when the situation regarding Ukraine begins to stabilize, we will be able to re-establish relations with Italy perhaps even faster than with some other countries».

The United States “tips the balance” in the Ukrainian conflict

The support from the United States, with which relations remain tense, weighs on the war.

According to what the president said, they are the ones who could change the fate of the war in Ukraine: «If the United States stopped supplying weapons to Ukraine, the conflict would end within two to three months” he said. Little surprised by the hypothesis of sending weapons by Europe, which sees France as favorable more than other countries, stating that “Westerners are already present on the territory of Ukraine and unfortunately for them they suffer losses”.

The specter of nuclear war

On the possibility of using nuclear weapons, Putin reiterates that they could be used “only to respond to actions that threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country”. And he adds: «The only country to have used nuclear weapons is the United States. So let’s make sure we avoid the threat of using this type of weapon». But the American elections, with Trump currently the favourite, despite his 34-count conviction for the illegal payment to the porn star Stormy Daniels, do not seem to particularly interest the czar. And the victory of the tycoon with whom Putin has never had “a special relationship” as he himself says during the interview would not change relations between Russia and the USA.

The anniversary of the Normandy landings

Over twenty million Russian deaths during the Second World War fighting fascism and Nazism were not enough to invite “the Tsar” to the anniversary of the Normandy landings: «It’s a celebration but it seems that we Russians are strangers, yet we gave the most contribution of deaths and sacrifices. We were not invited,” Putin said. And then the jab at Macron: “Only scammers can change the cards on the table.”

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