Russian President Vladimir Putin explained Thursday that for Russia there is no «political or military» sense in a possible use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, while stressing that threats about the use of this type of weaponry are strategies of the West.
In this regard, he has recalled that the only country that has used nuclear weapons has been the United States. «The era of Western dominance in the world is fading away,» he said, adding that we are at a «turning point», as this is the «most dangerous» decade since World War II.
Putin has also put on the table that «as long as nuclear weapons exist «there is always the danger of their use», although Western countries, with their «provocations», force the thesis that Moscow is going to use this type of weaponry to «influence» its «friends, allies and neutral states».
In this way, the Russian president defended during a plenary meeting of the Valdai international discussion forum, as reported by the TASS news agency, that this strategy on the part of the West is «very primitive».
Putin also stressed, in his criticism of the allied countries, that the West is playing a «dangerous, bloody and dirty game». Thus, he said that former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss was «crazy» when she spoke about the possibility of Moscow using this type of weaponry.
The Russian leader reiterated that Moscow has never «said anything» on its «own initiative» about the possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia. «We only hinted at the statements made by the leaders of Western countries,» he said.
«Russia is not challenging the elites of the West. Russia is simply defending its right to exist and develop freely. At the same time, we ourselves are not going to become some kind of new hegemonic power,» he has theorized.
He has also explained that «any criticism» towards his «opponents» is perceived as «the machinations of the Kremlin» or the «hand of the Kremlin». «(The West) denies the sovereignty of countries and peoples, their identity and uniqueness,» he has added.
On the other hand, Putin has described as «scandalous» the explosions in the Nord Stream gas pipelines following the explosions recorded at the end of September in section 2 and which also affected Nord Stream 1.
TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES The Russian State Duma has approved on Thursday in first reading a reform to toughen the law prohibiting LGTBI «propaganda», in such a way that the defense of non-traditional sexual relations before any age group — not only before minors — will be penalized and information that disavows «family values» will be limited.
During the meeting, Putin defended that «the basis of world civilization is traditional societies». In this sense, he pointed out that the West has the right to «dozens of genders and gay parades», but should not try to inculcate them in other countries that wish to go «in another direction».
«Of course, the right of this Western minority to its own cultural diversity must be guaranteed, I certainly want to emphasize this. It should be treated, of course, with respect,» he said regarding the situation of the LGTBI community in Europe, as reported by the Interfax news agency.
With this new law, the Russian authorities tighten the criteria established in a 2013 law that was already harshly criticized by Human Rights organizations, which now warn of a reinforcement of conservative positions in Russia taking advantage of the war in Ukraine.
The director of Amnesty International for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Marie Struthers, regretted the «new era of repression» in Russia, which has led not only to «deprive the LGTBI population of their right to freedom of discrimination», but also to encourage their discrimination and even «hate crimes».
