President Vladimir Putin will provide an assessment of Moscow’s so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine and the impact on Russia’s economy when he delivers his state of the nation address Tuesday.
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President Vladimir Putin provided an assessment of Moscow’s so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine and the impact on Russia’s economy during his state of the nation address Tuesday.
Putin accused Ukraine and the West of provoking the conflict by amassing its military presence along Russia’s border.
“They started the war, and we used the force in order to stop it,” Putin said according to a translation of the speech in Moscow.
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, is also due to visit Moscow Tuesday. He may meet with Putin, according to Russian officials.
The visit follows a surprise trip by U.S. President Joe Biden to Kyiv Monday, when he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of the invasion’s one-year anniversary on Friday.
During the visit, Biden pledged to deliver a new package of U.S. aid to Ukraine worth $500 million. The funding includes artillery ammunition, anti-armour systems and air surveillance radars.
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