Russia recognized A “very tense” situation must be faced in Ukraine, this Tuesday, October 18. Faced with a Ukrainian counteroffensive that reaps territorial gains, the Kremlin has announced it is ready to take a “difficult decision.” The next day, Russian forces The evacuation of the people of Kherson began, a town in southern Ukraine that was part of the annexed territories in September. Could these latest developments in the conflict be a blow to Vladimir Putin? This is not the appearance of Pyotr Tolstoy, Deputy Chairman of the Duma. “Evacuating civilians is a sign of our policy aimed at protecting the lives of our citizens and our soldiers,” he said into LN24’s Jim Nejman’s microphone, pointing to the impending Ukrainian counteroffensive.
However, the great-grandson of famous writer Leo Tolstoy dismissed the possibility that Russia would lose the war. “Nuclear powers don’t lose wars,” he said.
Asked about his country’s days of “massive” strikes in Ukraine, Pyotr Tolstoy assessed that Russia was using the same strategy as the Americans in Baghdad. “We are losing Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, bridges and railways”, he described in the program “Les visitors du soir” on LN24, all this after the Crimean bridge explosion. “Before that, Russia didn’t attack Ukrainian infrastructure. But the way things are going now with Ukraine’s attacks, we’re going to send them back to the 18th century, and we’re going to do it quickly.”
The deputy speaker of the Duma reiterated that the purpose of the special military operation in Ukraine was to ensure Russia’s security. “We’re going to change things in military ways,” he said. He also slammed the European position, which he sees as being against any negotiations with Russia and too favorable for Ukraine to win on the battlefield. “Once Poland is on the border, there may be more reasons to negotiate with Europe or the United States. If Europe still…. (…) What is happening today is a historic change. The consequences will affect everyone, including Europeans who have not yet felt the consequences of this war.”
If the words of Mr. Tolstoy A belligerent as usual, the Russian politician still wanted to reassure the Europeans about the use of nuclear weapons. “Don’t worry, the law prevails. But what he says is that nuclear weapons can be used only if Russia’s existence is threatened. (…) Russia will not use nuclear weapons,” he said firmly.
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