Russia is consuming huge military reserves, but the difference between the Russian and Ukrainian military industrial complex is huge, Kiev will soon run out of reserves, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press conference on Thursday evening.
"The difference between us and those who are against us is that the Ukrainian military industrial complex, if it has not yet been completely zeroed out, is quickly moving towards it. Soon they will not have their own base,” he said.
According to Putin, Russia's manufacturing base, on the other hand, is "only growing" and not at the expense of other sectors of the economy. He added that, unlike Ukraine, Russia has developed its defense industry, military science and technology in recent decades.
He said that Russia is keeping track of how many weapons are left in Ukrainian warehouses, what they can produce, in what time frame, and how they can train the personnel. He added that NATO's resources are not running out, but Ukraine mainly receives Soviet-made weapons, which are running low. He pointed out that Western countries have new tools, but the transition to them will not be easy.
Regarding the pace of progress of the "special operation", he said that the intensification of the fighting would lead to unjustifiable losses and that "the hen is pecking one by one".
He emphasized that all conflicts are ended by diplomatic negotiations, and the sooner the opponent understands this, the better.
"We will try to finish this as soon as possible. The faster, the better," he said, adding that Russia has never rejected dialogue and the renewal of peace talks. He called it strange that Kiev forbade negotiations for itself.
He called the "special operation" launched against Ukraine a "forced" and "necessary" measure. He thanked the soldiers and the volunteers who supported them. At the same time, he stated that Moscow strives to protect those who feel that they are part of the Russian people and culture. He stated that it is not possible to turn against the part of the people in Ukraine who consider themselves to be part of the Russian world, but they "unleashed" a war against them that Russia tolerated for a long time.
"They will continue to be chopped up. We will unite. No one else wants the unification of the Russian people but us. And we will do that. And we will do it," said the president.
Regarding the American Patriot surface-to-air missile systems to be delivered to Ukraine, he said that "there is always an antidote". He called the Patriots weaker than the Russian S-300 systems. He believed that these tools would only prolong the conflict.
Asked about the balance of the year, Putin said that although there is a decline, Russia is firmly keeping pace. He recalled that many had predicted a collapse and economic disaster for him, but this year's inflation will be just over 12 percent, with which the country is "doing much better than many G20 countries and is proving itself with confidence." He said it was important that they were able to replace foreign investments with Russian ones.
Putin promised that he will tell the two houses of the parliament his message due this year at the beginning of next year.
Source: velvidek.ma/MTI
Featured image: Getty Images
