Russian President Vladimir Putin stated this Saturday that the decision to intervene militarily in Ukraine It was difficult”and considered that the sanctions that the western powers impose on his country for the invasion “they are like a declaration of war”.
“I said this at the beginning of the operation and I said it before this decision was made. A difficult decision, without a doubt,” Putin told a meeting with female Russian airline flight crews, broadcast on public television.
“These sanctions that are imposed are like a declaration of war,” said the president, who described “absurd” the position of the West on Ukraine, according to statements quoted by the news agency Sputnik.
the head of state in turn ruled out the application of martial law. He considered that “it is applied in case of aggression, especially in the regions where fighting took place.” In this sense, he assured that “We don’t have a situation like that, and I hope it doesn’t happen”.
In addition, he referred to the request of the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelensky, to NATO declare the no-fly over his country, which has been denied by the Alliance.
“We heard that it is necessary to establish a no-fly zone over the territory of Ukraine. To do this is impossible from the territory of Ukraine itself, it can only be done from the territory of some neighboring states.”, he underlined. “But any move in that direction will be considered by us as participation in the armed conflict by that state from whose territory threats to our country are created,” he added.
Putin also referred to the consequences that Ukraine’s accession to NATO might have. “We began to talk more and more actively regarding the fact that Ukraine will be accepted into NATO. Do you understand what this might lead to? Or where can it still lead until now? ”Inquired the Russian leader.
Finally, he alluded to the defense of the inhabitants of the pro-Russian regions of Donbas. “Listen, people in Donbas are not stray dogs. Between 13,000 and 14,000 people have died over the years. More than 500 children have been killed or maimed. But the West chose not to notice this for eight years. Listen, eight years,” Putin said, referring to the war that began in 2014 following the regime change in Kiev and Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea.
