Putin discusses national unity and dismisses threats to Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with military pilots in Torzhok, Tver Region, Russia. He emphasized the importance of "carefully considering the unity of the Russian people." He dedicated a part of his speech to discussing "the potential of attacking other countries, including Poland and the Baltic states."

Many reports from Russian media or government representatives are elements of propaganda. These reports are a component of the information war waged by the Russian Federation.

Putin stressed the need to protect "national unity" and also responded to Western assertions about the "Russian threat." According to his propagandistic narrative, there would be no need for a special operation in Ukraine if these claims were true.

Addressing national unity, he mentioned the emigrants: "As soon as we begin to entertain these destructive notions that everyone else is an outsider, we will destroy the country, and the Russian people will suffer the most," he stated.

He expressed his concern about hearing "chauvinistic" slogans that "Russia is only for Russians," calling for the protection of interethnic peace in Russia. This comes in the wake of an attack on Crocus City Hall, claimed by the so-called Islamic State.

The incident heightened xenophobic sentiments towards Central Asian migrants, prompting the Russian State Duma to propose stricter entry and deportation criteria.

Recently, a raid near Moscow targeted a warehouse employing 5,000 people. Several dozen migrants were detained and taken to the military enlistment office.

"Moreover, we must never forget that we are a multinational, multi-religious country. It is essential to respect—and this is what we are doing—our brothers, representatives of other faiths: Muslims, Jews, and everyone else," he said.

The president also commented on "claims from the West regarding Russia's alleged plans to attack Europe," dismissing them as "nonsense designed to scare their citizens." It's important to remember similar sentiments were expressed before the full-scale war in Ukraine started.

According to Putin, "US allies fear a large, powerful Russia unnecessarily. We have no aggressive intentions towards these countries," he reiterated.

"The idea of attacking any other country, such as Poland, the Baltic states, or the unfounded fears of the Czechs, is just ridiculous. It's another method to mislead their society and wring out additional funds from the people, burdening them further," Putin reiterated.

Surprisingly, Putin declared Russia would not conflict with NATO because "the disparity in military spending is enormous." He pointed out that in 2022, the US allocated $811 billion for military expenditures, while Russia spent $72 billion during the same period.

Nonetheless, Russia continues to threaten NATO with an attack and the potential use of nuclear weapons.

In November 2023, however, Putin significantly increased the defense and military budget. According to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, the budget for next year is projected to be $412.5 billion, with a budget deficit of $9.5 billion. A substantial portion of the Kremlin's budget remains classified.

"Given this spending ratio, are we expected to fight NATO? It's absurd," Putin remarked, again denying that "it was Russia moving towards NATO's borders."

"We haven't infringed on anyone - they approached us. Did we cross the ocean to the United States' borders? No, they came to us, and they were already near. What should we do? We protect our people in our historical territories," he reiterated, promoting the erroneous claim that Ukraine is not an independent state.