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President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia made his provocative 20-minute speech on Wednesday as world leaders are convening in New York for a gathering of the United Nations Common Meeting, the place many have denounced Russia’s invasion.
He railed in opposition to the West, saying it had “crossed all traces” by offering weapons methods that would allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory, and insisted that the West’s aim was to “weaken, divide and ultimately destroy” Russia.
Mr. Putin mentioned his high battle purpose — “liberating” Ukraine’s jap Donbas area — remained unchanged and introduced his help for referendums unexpectedly introduced on Tuesday that will see occupied Ukrainian territory turn into a part of Russia.
“Russia can’t surrender on folks residing shut by to be torn aside by executioners and fail to reply to their need to find out their very own destiny,” he mentioned, referring to Ukrainians in occupied territory, whilst experiences proceed to emerge of torture on the hand of Russian occupying forces.
However Mr. Putin additionally made it clear that his battle goals are usually not solely about territory or folks, however slightly a contest for geopolitical energy.
“It’s in our historic custom and within the destiny of our folks to cease those that are striving for world domination, who threaten dismemberment and enslavement in our homeland and our fatherland,” he mentioned on the finish of his speech. “We are going to do it now.”
His remarks got here a day after Moscow pressed to consolidate its maintain over Ukrainian territory within the east and south, abruptly transferring to stage referendums for occupied components of Ukraine to formally be a part of Russia.
Russian proxy officers in 4 areas — Donetsk and Luhansk within the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia within the south — introduced plans to carry referendums over 4 days starting on Friday. Russia controls almost all of two of the 4 areas, Luhansk and Kherson, however solely a fraction of the opposite two, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk.
The scheduling of the votes, which seemed to be coordinated, adopted swift advances by Ukrainian forces, who routed Russians from the northeast in current weeks and are on the offensive within the east and south. Analysts say Russia has misplaced tens of hundreds of troops, is struggling to recruit new troopers and is dealing with a rising backlash, even from some allies, over its extended and bloody invasion.
Russia’s protection minister, Sergei Shoigu, asserted in his speech on Wednesday that 5,937 Russian troopers had been killed within the preventing in Ukraine, the primary details about Russian troop casualties since March. Western estimates put the Russian casualties a lot increased, within the tens of hundreds.
The partial mobilization got here a day after Russia’s Parliament, in an expedited process, handed laws imposing legal penalties on troopers for desertion, give up or refusal to observe orders throughout “mobilization” and “martial legislation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who was anticipated to handle the United Nations Common Meeting on Wednesday, mentioned in his nightly tackle earlier than Mr. Putin’s speech aired that no matter steps the Russian chief introduced — and no matter “sham” vote is staged in occupied components of Ukraine — his navy would proceed to combat to drive Russian forces from the nation.
“We benefit from the full help of our companions on this,” Mr. Zelensky mentioned. “So let’s preserve the stress. Let’s protect unity. Let’s defend Ukraine. We’re liberating our land. And we aren’t displaying any indicators of weak point.”
U.S. officers have warned for months that Mr. Putin might use sham referendums in occupied areas — which many residents have fled amid fierce preventing — to attempt to legitimize the unlawful annexation of components of Ukraine.
Marc Santora, Anton Troianovski and Dan Bilefskycontributed reporting.
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