Vladimir Putin has claimed in an extraordinary speech that the West has engaged in nuclear blackmail against Russia and that he is unafraid to retaliate with "lots of weapons." In a major escalation, the Russian President appeared to threaten possible nuclear strikes in response to what he called attacks on his territory. The warmonger said he had "lots of weapons to reply" to so-called Western threats and insisted he was not lying. Putin, who consistently misrepresents the truth over his illegal invasion of his neighbor, was due to address the nation on Tuesday night but his speech was delayed without explanation. Finally speaking on Wednesday morning in a rare address, he said: "The West has engaged in nuclear blackmail against us.
"If its territorial integrity is threatened Russia will use all the means at its disposal to protect our people. This is not a bluff." Sergei Shoigu, Russia's Defence Minister, said: "We are witnessing strikes from western weapons on civilians." In a major announcement, the Kremlin warmonger said he had signed a decree stating that Russian reservists will be conscripted into Russia's military from Wednesday. This is Russia's first mobilisation since World War Two. "I shall stress that Russian citizens called up as part of mobilisation will be given all the benefits of those serving under contract", he said.
Failure to comply with an order during martial law will be punished by imprisonment. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace accused Putin of “breaking his own promises not to mobilise parts of his population” and said that the speech was “an admission that his invasion is failing”. His statement continued: "He and his Defence Minister have sent tens of thousands of their own citizens to their deaths, ill-equipped and badly led.
"No amount of threats and propaganda can hide the fact that Ukraine is winning this war, the international community are united and Russia is becoming a global pariah.” Mr Shoigu said that 300,000 additional personnel will be called up to serve in Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. Shoigu said that students and those who served as conscripts would not be called up and that the majority of Russia's millions-strong reserves would not be drafted. Putin said his aim was to "liberate" east Ukraine's Donbas region and claimed that most people in the regions under Russian control did not want to be ruled by Kyiv.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace accused Putin of “breaking his own promises not to mobilise parts of his population” and said that the speech was “an admission that his invasion is failing”. His statement continued: "He and his Defence Minister have sent tens of thousands of their own citizens to their deaths, ill-equipped and badly led. "No amount of threats and propaganda can hide the fact that Ukraine is winning this war, the international community are united and Russia is becoming a global pariah.
