President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues.
Taking part in our meeting are senior Government officials, plenipotentiary
presidential envoys in the federal districts and heads of Russian regions.
We are meeting in a complicate period as our Armed Forces are conducting
a special military operation in Ukraine and Donbass. I would like to remind you
that at the beginning, on the morning of February 24, I publicly announced
the reasons for and the main goal of Russia’s actions. It is to help our people
in Donbass, who have been subjected to real genocide for nearly eight years
in the most barbarous ways, that is, through blockade, large-scale punitive
operations, terrorist attacks and constant artillery raids. Their only guilt was that
they demanded basic human rights: to live according to their forefathers’ laws
and traditions, to speak their native language, and to bring up their children
as they want.
During these years, the Kiev authorities have ignored and sabotaged
the implementation of the Minsk Package of Measures for a peaceful settlement
of the crisis and ultimately late last year openly refused to implement it.
They also started to implement plans to join NATO. Moreover, the Kiev
authorities also announced their intention to have nuclear weapons and delivery
vehicles. This was a real threat. With foreign technical support, the pro-Nazi Kiev
regime would have obtained weapons of mass destruction in the foreseeable
future and, of course, would have targeted them against Russia.
There was a network of dozens of laboratories in Ukraine, where military
biological programmes were conducted under the guidance and with the financial
support of the Pentagon, including experiments with coronavirus strains, anthrax,
cholera, African swine fever and other deadly diseases. Frantic attempts are
being made to conceal traces of these secret programmes. However, we have
grounds to assume that components of biological weapons were being created
in direct proximity to Russia on the territory of Ukraine.
Our numerous warnings that such developments posed a direct threat
to the security of Russia were rejected with open and cynical arrogance
by Ukraine and its US and NATO patrons.
In other words, all our diplomatic efforts were fully in vain. We have been left with
no peaceful alternative to settle the problems that developed through no fault
of ours. In this situation, we were forced to begin this special military operation.
The movement of Russian forces against Kiev and other Ukrainian cities is not
connected with a desire to occupy that country. This is not our goal, as I pointed
out openly in my statement on February 24.
As for the combat tactics drafted by the Defence Ministry of Russia
and the General Staff, this has fully justified itself. Our fellows – soldiers
and officers – are displaying courage and heroism and are doing all they can
to avoid civilian losses in Ukrainian cities.
This is what I would like to say for the first time: at the very start of the operation
in Donbass, the Kiev authorities were offered opportunities to avoid hostilities, via

different channels, to simply withdraw their troops from Donbass
as an alternative to bloodshed. They did not want to do this. Well, this was their
decision; now they will understand what is happening in reality, on the ground.
The operation is being carried out successfully, in strict conformity with
the approved plan.
I must note that, encouraged by the United States and other Western countries,
Ukraine was purposefully preparing for a scenario of force, a massacre
and an ethnic cleansing in Donbass. A massive onslaught on Donbass and later
Crimea was just a matter of time. However, our Armed Forces have shattered
these plans.
Kiev was not just preparing for war, for aggression against Russia – it was
conducting it. There were endless attempts to stage acts of subversion
and organise a terrorist underground in Crimea. Hostilities in Donbass
and the shelling of peaceful residential areas have continued all these years.
Almost 14,000 civilians, including children have been killed over this time.
As you know, there was a missile strike at the centre of Donetsk on March 14.
This was an overt bloody act of terror that took over 20 lives. Shelling has been
ongoing during the past few days. They are striking randomly at squares with
the fervor of fanatics and the exasperation of the doomed. They are acting like
the Nazis did when they tried to drag as many innocent victims as they could
to their graves.
But what is shocking in its extreme cynicism is not just Kiev’s blatant lies
and statements that Russia allegedly launched this missile at Donetsk (they have
gone as far as this), but the attitude of the so-called civilised world.
The European and American press did not even notice this tragedy in Donetsk,
as if nothing happened.
This is how they have been hypocritically looking the other way over the past
eight years as mothers buried their children in Donbass, as elderly people were
killed. This is simply moral degradation, complete de-humanisation.
It was no longer possible to tolerate this outrageous attitude towards the people
of Donbass. To put an end to this genocide, Russia recognized the people’s
republics of Donbass and signed treaties of friendship and mutual aid with them.
Based on these treaties, the republics appealed to Russia for military aid
in rebuffing the aggression. We rendered this aid because we simply could not
do otherwise. We had no right to act otherwise.
I would like to emphasise this point and draw your attention to it: if our troops had
acted only within the people's republics and helped them liberate their territory, it
would not have been a final solution, it would not have led to peace and would
not have ultimately removed the threat – to our country, this time to Russia.
On the contrary, a new frontline would have been extended around Donbass
and its borders, and shelling and provocations would have continued. In other
words, this armed conflict would have continued indefinitely. It would have been
fuelled by the revanchist hysteria of the Kiev regime, as NATO deployed its

military infrastructure faster and more aggressively. In this case, we would have
been faced with the fact that the attack, the offensive weapons of the alliance
were already at our borders.
I will repeat – we had no alternative for self-defence, for ensuring Russia's
security, to this special military operation. We will reach the goals we set. We will
certainly ensure the security of Russia and our people and will never allow
Ukraine to be a bridgehead for aggressive actions against our country.
We remain ready to discuss matters of fundamental importance to Russia’s
future during the talks. This includes Ukraine’s status as a neutral country,
and demilitarisation and denazification. Our country has done everything it could
to organise and hold these talks realising that it is important to use every
opportunity to save people and their lives.
But time and time again we see that the Kiev regime, which its Western handlers
have charged with the task of creating an aggressive “anti-Russia” stance, does
not care about the future of the people of Ukraine. They do not care that people
are dying, that hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people had to flee their
homes, and that a horrendous humanitarian disaster is unfolding in the cities
controlled by the neo-Nazis and armed criminals who were cut loose.
Clearly, Kiev’s Western patrons are just pushing them to continue the bloodshed.
They incessantly supply Kiev with weapons and intelligence, as well as other
types of assistance, including military advisers and mercenaries.
They are using economic, financial, trade and other sanctions against Russia
as weapons, but these sanctions have backfired in Europe and in the United
States where prices of gasoline, energy and food have shot up, and jobs
in the industries associated with the Russian market have been cut. So, do not
shift the blame on us and do not accuse our country of everything that goes
wrong in your countries.
I want ordinary Western people hear me, too. You are being persistently told that
your current difficulties are the result of Russia’s hostile actions and that you
have to pay for the efforts to counter the alleged Russian threat from your own
pockets. All of that is a lie.
The truth is that the problems faced by millions of people in the West are
the result of many years of actions by the ruling elite of your respective countries,
their mistakes, and short-sighted policies and ambitions. This elite is not thinking
about how to improve the lives of their citizens in Western countries. They are
obsessed with their own self-serving interests and super profits.
This can be seen in the data provided by international organisations, which
clearly show that social problems, even in the leading Western countries, have
exacerbated in recent years, that inequality and the gap between the rich
and the poor is widening, and racial and ethnic conflicts are making themselves
felt. The myth of the Western welfare society, the so-called golden billion, is
crumbling.

To reiterate, the whole planet is now paying for the West’s ambitions
and the West’s attempts to maintain its elusive dominance by any means
possible.
Imposing sanctions is the logical continuation and the distillation
of the irresponsible and short-sighted policy of the US and EU countries’
governments and central banks. They themselves have driven up global inflation
in recent years, and with their actions caused rising global poverty and greater
inequality across the world. The question now arises – who will answer
for the millions who will die of hunger in the world’s poorest countries due
to growing food shortages?
Let me reiterate, the global economy and global trade as a whole have suffered
a major blow, as did trust in the US dollar as the main reserve currency.
The illegitimate freezing of some of the currency reserves of the Bank of Russia
marks the end of the reliability of so-called first-class assets. In fact, the US
and the EU have defaulted on their obligations to Russia. Now everybody knows
that financial reserves can simply be stolen. And many countries
in the immediate future may begin – I am sure this is what will happen –
to convert their paper and digital assets into real reserves of raw materials, land,
food, gold and other real assets which will only result in more shortages in these
markets.
Let me add that the seizure of foreign assets and accounts of Russian
companies and individuals is also a lesson for domestic businesses that there is
nothing as reliable as investing in one’s own country. I personally have said that
a number of times.
We appreciate the position of those foreign companies who continue working
in our country despite the brazen pressure from the US and its vassals. They are
sure to find additional opportunities for growth in the future.
We also know those who cowardly betrayed their partners and forgot about their
responsibility to employees and customers in Russia, rushing to earn illusory
dividends from joining the anti-Russia campaign. However, unlike Western
countries, we will respect property rights.
Here is what I would like to point out. We must clearly understand that a new
package of sanctions and restrictions would have been imposed on us no matter
what. I want to emphasise this. For the West, our military operation in Ukraine is
just a pretext for imposing more sanctions on us. Indeed, this time they are
concentrated. In the same way, the West used the referendum in Crimea
as a pretext, which, by the way, took place on March 16, 2014, eight years ago
today, when the residents of Crimea and Sevastopol made the free choice to be
one with their historical homeland.
To reiterate, these are just pretexts. The policy of containing and weakening
Russia, including through economic isolation, a blockade, is a premeditated,
long-term strategy. Western leaders are no longer hiding the fact that
the sanctions are not directed against individuals or companies. Their goal is

to deliver a blow to our entire economy, our social and cultural sphere, every
family, and every Russian citizen.
In fact, the steps designed to make the lives of millions of people worse have all
the attributes of an aggression, a war by economic, political, and informational
means, and it is of a comprehensive and blatant nature. Again, the West’s top
political circles do not even hesitate to talk about it openly.
The verbal tinsel of political correctness, inviolability of private property
and freedom of speech was blown off overnight. Even the Olympic principles
were trampled upon. They did not hesitate to settle their score through
the Paralympic athletes. So much for “sport being separate from politics.”
In many Western countries, people are subjected to persecution just because
they are originally from Russia. They are being denied medical care, their
children are expelled from schools, parents are losing their jobs, and Russian
music, culture, and literature are being banned. In its attempts to “cancel” Russia,
the West tore off its mask of decency and began to act crudely showing its true
colours. One cannot help but remember the anti-Semitic Nazi pogroms
in Germany in the 1930s, and then pogroms perpetrated by their henchmen
in many European countries that joined the Nazi aggression against our country
during the Great Patriotic War.
A massive attack against Russia has also been unleashed in cyberspace.
An unprecedented information campaign has been launched through global
social networks and all Western media outlets, whose impartiality
and independence have proved to be a mere myth. Access to information is
being restricted and people are being crammed full of all sorts of fake stories,
propaganda, and fabrication, or simply put, snake oil. It even got to the point
where American social media companies said straight out that it was possible
to post calls for the murder of Russian nationals.
We realise what kind of resources this empire of lies has at its disposal but, all
the same, when confronted with truth and justice, it is helpless. Russia will never
stop trying to make its position clear to the whole world. And our position is
honest and open, and an increasing number of people hear, understand
and share it.
I want to be as direct as possible: hostile geopolitical designs lie behind
the hypocritical talk and recent actions by the so-called collective West. They
have no use – simply no use – for a strong and sovereign Russia, and they will
not forgive us for our independent policy or for standing up for our national
interests.
We still remember how they supported separatism and terrorism by encouraging
terrorists and bandits in the North Caucasus. Just like in the 1990s and the early
2000s, they want to try again to finish us off, to reduce us to nothin