Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday, September 21, a “partial mobilization” Russians of military age. The Russian president, who was speaking during a recorded televised address, thus opens the way to a major escalation in the conflict in Ukraine. Here is what to remember from this intervention.
The West accused of wanting to “destroy Russia”
“The goal of the West is to weaken, divide and destroy Russia”, accused the Russian president at the start of his speech. According to him, Westerners thus wish “remove sovereign and independent development centers” in the world to strengthen.
“They created Russophobia”, he insisted. “This also concerns Ukraine, on whose territory there were anti-Russian intentions. The war that started in 2014 was started by the West”, he claimed, overturning the charges against the Kremlin. In 2014, Moscow annexed the Ukrainian Crimean peninsula, provoking criticism and a first round of economic sanctions from Westerners.
A “partial mobilization” of the Russians
Vladimir Putin has announced a new stage in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “I consider it necessary to support the proposal [du ministère de la Défense] partial mobilization of citizens in reserve, those who have already served (…) and who have relevant experience”said the Russian president.
“The decree on partial mobilization is signed” and will come into force on Wednesday, he added. Russians of military age who are affected will be required to follow a “compulsory training”.
“We are only talking about partial mobilization”, underlined Vladimir Putin, while rumors of a general mobilization have been circulating in recent hours. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, “300,000 reservists will be called up”. This represents “just over 1%” the number of people who can be mobilized in the country, estimated at some 25 million people.
Russia ready to use “all its military means”
Vladimir Putin claimed that “the Nazi regime of kyiv”supported financially and militarily by the West, represented a “threatens” for his country. “If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people”warned the Russian president.
“Those who blackmail with nuclear weapons must know that this blackmail can backfire“, he added, while Westerners have accused Moscow for several months of posing a nuclear threat to the planet. The Russian President has denounced the “statements by some high-ranking representatives of the main NATO member states on the possibility of using nuclear weapons of mass destruction against Russia”. “To those who allow themselves such statements concerning Russia, I would like to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction”he said, assuring that this threat was not “not bluffing”.
Moscow will support results of annexation referendums
Vladimir Putin’s threat resonates all the more strongly as referendums on annexation by Russia are planned in four Ukrainian regions controlled by the pro-Russian separatist authorities, from September 23 to 27. These are the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. “We have no right to leave these populations at the mercy of barbarism”said Vladimir Putin, accusing the Ukrainian authorities of “violence” and “of intimidation” in these regions. “These populations must be able to have the right to self-determination”he continued, assuring that Moscow would support the results of the annexation referendums.