Vladimir Putin defiantly compared Western powers with Hitler as he defended his aggressive foreign policy.
In
a belligerent and provocative state-of-the-nation address, the Russian
president accused the West of ‘trying to build a new Iron Curtain’.
Vladimir Putin claimed Russia was asserting its ‘sovereignty and national pride’ over
its dealings with neighbouring Ukraine – and said his country’s survival
depended on it.
Claiming the
West wanted to see a Yugoslav-style ‘collapse and dismemberment’ of
Russia, he said: ‘This has not happened. We did not allow it.
‘Hitler
also failed when, with his hateful ideas, he was going to destroy
Russia, throw us back behind the Urals. Everyone should remember how it
ended.’
Vladimir Putin used his address to justify Russia’s
dealings with Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea – which he described
as ‘our Temple Mount’, a reference to the holy site in Jerusalem sacred
to both Jews and Muslims.
Vladimir Putin insisted that Russia was merely defending its own existence from foreign
aggressors and warned: ‘No one will succeed in defeating Russia
militarily.’
Vladimir Putin added: ‘If for a number of European countries national pride is a
long-forgotten term and sovereignty is too much of a luxury, for Russia
real state sovereignty is an absolutely indispensable condition of its
existence.
‘I
want to stress: either we will be sovereign or we will dissolve in the
world. And, of course, other nations must understand this as well.’ Mr
Putin then raised the spectre of a new Cold War, saying: ‘We will stand
up for the diversity of the world.
‘We
will deliver truth to people abroad... And we will do this even in
those cases when governments of some countries are trying to build
around Russia something next to a new Iron Curtain.’
Hundreds of cabinet ministers, politicians and community leaders
gathered to listen to Putin as he outlined his plans for Russia's future
The speech was broadcast live across Russia
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