January 1, 2024

Putin names Russia’s real enemies

Ukraine itself is not an enemy, while Western elites backing it are, the Russian president has said

https://www.rt.com/russia/590003-putin-names-russia-real-enemies/

Ukraine is a mere tool in the hands of the collective West, which has been using it to fight Russia, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday. He made the remarks at a military hospital in Moscow where he was meeting Russian servicemen wounded during the Ukraine military operation.

Asked about the enduring Western support for Kiev, the president said the elites of the collective West were actually the true enemy of Russia, rather than Ukraine itself.

“The point is not that they are helping our enemy, but that they are our enemy. They are solving their own problems with [Ukraine’s] hands, that’s what it’s all about,” Putin stated.

The conflict between Moscow and Kiev was orchestrated by Western elites, who seek to defeat Russia, he suggested. However, the collective West has been unable to achieve its goals, with the failure already showing in the change of its rhetoric on the conflict, the president explained.

Those who only yesterday were talking about the need to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia are now looking for words on how to quickly end the conflict.

“We want to end the conflict too, and as quickly as possible, but only on our terms. We have no desire to fight forever, but we are not going to give up our positions either,” Putin said.

The battlefield situation is now changing despite all the aid Kiev has been receiving from the West, the president observed. Russia has been effectively outproducing the whole West militarily, he suggested, with the country’s output destined to grow even further.

“Despite the fact that from time immemorial [the West] has had such a goal – to deal with Russia, it looks like we will deal with them first,” Putin stated.

“You probably see it on the battlefield that they are gradually ‘deflating’. When a shell flies, it is probably difficult to tell whether they are ‘deflated’ or not, but in general you probably know: the situation on the battlefield is changing. And this is happening despite the fact that the entire so-called civilized West is fighting against us,” he told the servicemen.

According to Russia’s latest estimates, over 380,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed or wounded during the conflict. Ukraine has also sustained heavy materiel losses, with an estimated 14,000 tanks and other armored vehicles destroyed. Nearly 160,000 of the troop losses were during Kiev’s botched counteroffensive, launched in early June last year, Moscow says.

***

January 1, 2024

Russian economy is in a ‘structural shift’ – Putin

Western sanctions have forced the country to focus more on manufacturing than energy exports, and the change has been beneficial, according to Russia’s president

https://www.rt.com/business/590006-russia-economy-shift-putin/

The Russian economy is in good shape and is rapidly expanding despite pressure from Western sanctions, President Vladimir Putin said during his visit to Vishnevsky Military Hospital in Moscow on Monday.

The head of state noted that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 3.5% in 2023, which is a very promising development after the 2.1% contraction it suffered in 2022.

“Our GDP, the key indicator that shows how much our economy has produced… grew 3.5% in 2023. What this tells us is that our economy is functioning steadily. We recuperated our losses and moved forward. This is fundamental,” he stated, noting that while there are still problems facing the economy, like rising inflation, “we’re keeping everything under control.”

Putin noted that this growth stems from changes the country’s economy has gone through over the past year.

“We have never seen anything like that before: while we used to make money from oil and gas [exports], 2023 was the first year when our processing, our manufacturing sector has been growing much faster and generated much more revenue. What we’re witnessing are structural shifts in our economy, and they are very important,” he stated.

The president added that the West’s Ukraine-related sanctions, including Russia’s disconnection from the SWIFT financial messaging system, and the sanctions-induced exit of some large Western companies from the country’s market, have failed to cause lingering harm to Russia’s economic stability.

“The companies that left our market expected the Russian economy to crumble, our businesses and manufacturing to stop running, and thousands of Russians to lose jobs. Our adversaries expected people to take to the streets begging for bread… [but] our economy is stable and our financial system is stable as well,” he stated. Putin noted that unemployment rate in Russia is currently at its historic low of 2.9%, while real household incomes and real disposable income have both substantially increased.

The president also noted that Western departures were beneficial for Russia’s domestic companies.

“Everyone thought that our manufacturing would stop because [the West] stopped supplying components. It didn’t happen. Yes, they created problems, but these problems are being overcome… When certain foreign firms have left, our businesses immediately took over,” Putin said, adding that Russia has enough talent, qualified specialists and managers to “ensure that everything runs smoothly.”