Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with graduates of military academies that Western states are openly talking about preparing for war with Russia and are increasing defense spending.
As reported by the Russian state news agency TASS, Putin said that Moscow is ready to respond quickly and adequately to external and internal threats.
According to him, Western leaders are using claims of an alleged Russian threat to justify aggressive policies and increased investment in offensive weapons.
He added that the West first creates a threat to Russia, and then blames Moscow for everything to justify its own actions.
"If earlier NATO countries limited themselves to supporting the Kyiv regime, now they openly say they are preparing for war with us. Russia has always been accused of aggression. Even in 1941, when Germany attacked the Soviet Union, the Germans claimed they were doing so in response to Soviet aggression. Their method of operation is very simple: they first create threats to our country, force us to take necessary self-defense measures, and then immediately blame us for all mortal sins," Putin said.
He emphasized that the international situation is far from stable, pointing to the continuation of armed conflicts in the Middle East and the growing conflict potential in Eurasia.
"They deliberately target civilian infrastructure"
Speaking about the situation on the front in Ukraine, the Russian president claimed that the Russian army is advancing in all directions and is in the process of taking control of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region.
He also addressed the possibility of peace negotiations with Kyiv, expressing doubt about the sincerity of the Ukrainian side.
As an example, he cited an open letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about readiness for a meeting, noting that just three days after that appeal, a Ukrainian attack on the city of Starobilsk followed.
According to Putin, such moves do not create conditions for peace, but serve solely to incite new conflicts, TASS reports.
He added that Ukraine is deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure inside Russia with massive drone attacks to create insecurity among Russian armed forces members and destabilize Russian society, but stressed that Russia will achieve all its set military goals.
