Ukrainian subtitles for clip: File:Voice of Vladimir Putin (24.2.2022).ogg

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Президент Росії Володимир Путін:
Громадяне Росії,

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друзі,

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Вважаю це необхідним сьогодні

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знов поговорити про
трагичні події на Донбасі

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та ключові аспекти забеспечення
безпеки Росії.

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Почну з того, що казав
в своєму зверненні від 21 лютого 2022.

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Я говорив про наші найвеликі
тревогі та турботи,

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а також фундаментальні загрози,
що безвідповідальні західні політики

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постійно створювали для Росії, 
грубо та безцеремонно

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щороку.

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Я маю на увазі розширення
НАТО на схід,

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яке переносить
свою військову інфраструктуру

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наскільки можливо близько до російского кордону.

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Це є факт, що протягом 30 років
Ми терпляче намагалися

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прийти до умови
з ведучими країнами НАТО

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щодо принципів рівної
та неподоланої безпекі в Європі.

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Відповідаючи на наші пропозиції,

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ми щоразу зустрічали
або цинічний обман та брехню,

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або намагання надавити та шантажувати,

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водночас Північноатлантичний альянс

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безупинно продовжував розширюватись
не зважаючи на наші протести та турботи.

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Його військова машина рухаєтся

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та, як я казав, наближаєтся
до нашого кордону.

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Чому це триває?

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Звідки з'явилася ця нахабна манера

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говорити зверху вниз з висоти
їхньої винятковості, непогрішності

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та вседозволеності?

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Яке пояснення
цього зневажливого

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та неповажного відношення до нашіх інтересів
та абсолютно легітимних требувань?

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Відповідь проста.
Все ясно та очевидно.

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Наприкінці 1980-х рр.
Радяньский Союз становився слабішим

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та в решті решт розпався.

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Цей опит повинен служити
гарним уроком для нас,

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тому що він показав нам,
що параліч влади та волі

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є перший крок до
повної деградації та упадку.

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Ми втратили переконаність на один момент,

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але цього було достатньо щоб нарушити
баланс сил в світі.

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Як реузльтат, старі договори
та умови більш не ефективні. 

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Благання та запрошення не допомагають.

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Все, що не підходить
домінантної державі, її владі,

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признається архаічним,
застарілим та непотрбіним.

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Водночас
все, що вони уявляють користним,

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вважається правдою в останньої інстанції

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та нав'язується іншім
незважаючи на ціну,

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насильно та любими доступними засобами.

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Ті, хто одмовляється слухатися,
стають жертвами силової тактикі.

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Те, про що я зараз говорю,
стосується не тільки Росії,

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та Росія не єдина країна,
яка хвилюється про це.

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Це пов'язано зі всією сістемою
міжнародних відносин,

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та іноді навіть зі союзникамі США.

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Розпад Радянського Союзу
привів до перерозділу світу

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та норм міжнародного права,
яки сформувались на той час –

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та найважливіших з ніх,
фундаментальних норм,

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які були прийняті після Другої світової
та цілком формалізували її результат –

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вони встали на шляху тіх, хто проголосоив
себе переможцями Холодної війни.

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Звичайно, практика, міжнародні
відносини, та правила, які їх стосуються,

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повинні були з'являти увагу до змін,
які відбулися в світі

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та в балансі сил.

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Однак це повинні були зробити
професійно, м'ягко, терпляче,

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мая на увазі та поважаючи
інтереси всіх держав

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а також свою відповідальність.

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Замість цього, ми побачили стан ейфорії,

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створенний відчуттям
абсолютної переваги,

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свого роду сучасний абсолютізм,

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помножений на низкі культурні стандарти
та зарозумілість тих, хто формулював

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та продвигав рішення,
які служили тільки їм самим.

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Ситуація склалася інакше.

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Цьому є багато прикладів.

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Поперше, крівава військова операція
була проведена проти Белграду,

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без санкції Ради Безпекі ООН,

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але з бойовими літаками та ракетами,
якіми користувалися в центрі Європи.

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Бомбурдування мирних міст
та необхідної інфраструктури

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тривалося декілька тижнів.

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Мені потрібно нагадати ці факти,

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тому що деякі західні коллегі
prefer to forget them,

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and when we mentioned the event,

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they prefer to avoid speaking 
about international law,

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instead emphasising the circumstances

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which they interpret
as they think necessary.

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Then came the turn of Iraq,
Libya and Syria.

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The illegal use of military power
against Libya

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and the distortion of all the UN Security
Council decisions on Libya

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ruined the state,

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created a huge seat
of international terrorism,

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and pushed the country
towards a humanitarian catastrophe,

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into the vortex of a civil war,
which has continued there for years.

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The tragedy, which was created

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for hundreds of thousands
and even millions of people

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not only in Libya but in the whole region,
has led to a large-scale exodus

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from the Middle East
and North Africa to Europe.

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A similar fate
was also prepared for Syria.

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The combat operations conducted
by the Western coalition in that country

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without the Syrian government’s approval
or UN Security Council’s sanction

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can only be defined
as aggression and intervention.

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But the example that stands apart
from the above events is,

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of course, the invasion of Iraq
without any legal grounds.

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They used the pretext
of allegedly reliable information

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available in the United States

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about the presence of weapons
of mass destruction in Iraq

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To prove that allegation, the US Secretary
of State held up a vial with white power,

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publicly, for the whole world to see,
assuring the international community

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that it was a chemical
warfare agent created in Iraq.

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It later turned out
that all of that was a fake

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and a sham, and that Iraq
did not have any chemical weapons.

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Incredible and shocking but true.

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We witnessed lies
made at the highest state level

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and voiced from the high UN rostrum.

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As a result we see a tremendous loss
in human life, damage, destruction,

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and a colossal upsurge of terrorism.

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Overall, it appears that nearly
everywhere, in many regions of the world

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where the United States
brought its law and order,

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this created bloody, non-healing wounds

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and the curse of international
terrorism and extremism.

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I have only mentioned the most glaring

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but far from only examples
of disregard for international law.

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This array includes promises not to expand
NATO eastwards even by an inch.

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To reiterate: they have deceived us,

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or, to put it simply, they have played us.

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Sure, one often hears
that politics is a dirty business.

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It could be, but it shouldn’t be as dirty
as it is now, not to such an extent.

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This type of con-artist behaviour

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is contrary not only to the principles
of international relations

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but also and above all to the generally
accepted norms of morality and ethics.

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Where is justice and truth here?

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Just lies and hypocrisy all around.

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Incidentally, US politicians,
political scientists and journalists

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write and say that a veritable
“empire of lies” has been created

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inside the United States in recent years.

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It is hard to disagree with this –

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it is really so.

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But one should not be modest about it:
the United States is still a great country

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and a system-forming power.

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All its satellites not only humbly
and obediently say yes to

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and parrot it at the slightest pretext
but also imitate its behaviour

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and enthusiastically accept
the rules it is offering them.

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Therefore, one can say
with good reason and confidence

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that the whole so-called Western bloc

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formed by the United States
in its own image and likeness is,

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in its entirety,
the very same “empire of lies.”

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As for our country,
after the disintegration of the USSR,

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given the entire unprecedented
openness of the new, modern Russia,

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its readiness to work honestly
with the United States

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and other Western partners,

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and its practically
unilateral disarmament,

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they immediately tried
to put the final squeeze on us,

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finish us off, and utterly destroy us.

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This is how it was in the 1990s
and the early 2000s,

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when the so-called collective West
was actively supporting separatism

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and gangs of mercenaries
in southern Russia.

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What victims,
what losses we had to sustain

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and what trials we had
to go through at that time

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before we broke the back of
international terrorism in the Caucasus!

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We remember this and will never forget.

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Properly speaking, the attempts
to use us in their own interests

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never ceased until quite recently:

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they sought to destroy our traditional
values and force on us their false values

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that would erode us,
our people from within,

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the attitudes they have been
aggressively imposing on their countries,

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attitudes that are directly leading
to degradation and degeneration,

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because they are contrary
to human nature.

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This is not going to happen.

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No one has ever succeeded in doing this,

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nor will they succeed now.

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Despite all that, in December 2021,
we made yet another attempt

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to reach agreement
with the United States and its allies

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on the principles of European security 
and NATO’s non-expansion.

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Our efforts were in vain.

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The United States
has not changed its position.

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It does not believe it necessary
to agree with Russia

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on a matter that is critical for us.

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The United States is pursuing
its own objectives,

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while neglecting our interests.

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Of course, this situation begs a question:

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what next, what are we to expect?

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If history is any guide, we know

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that in 1940 and early 1941
the Soviet Union

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went to great lengths to prevent war
or at least delay its outbreak.

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To this end, the USSR
sought not to provoke

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the potential aggressor until the very end

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by refraining or postponing
the most urgent and obvious preparations

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it had to make to defend itself
from an imminent attack.

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When it finally acted,

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it was too late.

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As a result, the country was not prepared

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to counter the invasion by Nazi Germany,

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which attacked our Motherland
on June 22, 1941, without declaring war.

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The country stopped the enemy
and went on to defeat it,

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but this came at a tremendous cost.

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The attempt to appease the aggressor
ahead of the Great Patriotic War

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proved to be a mistake which came
at a high cost for our people.

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In the first months
after the hostilities broke out,

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we lost vast territories of strategic
importance, as well as millions of lives.

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We will not make this mistake
the second time.

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We have no right to do so.

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Those who aspire to global dominance

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have publicly designated
Russia as their enemy.

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They did so with impunity.

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Make no mistake,
they had no reason to act this way.

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It is true that they have
considerable financial,

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scientific, technological,
and military capabilities.

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We are aware of this
and have an objective view

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of the economic threats
we have been hearing,

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00:13:13,535 --> 00:13:19,561
just as our ability to counter this brash
and never-ending blackmail.

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00:13:20,455 --> 00:13:23,462
Let me reiterate that we have
no illusions in this regard

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00:13:23,477 --> 00:13:25,814
and are extremely realistic
in our assessments.

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00:13:26,541 --> 00:13:30,517
As for military affairs,
even after the dissolution of the USSR

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00:13:30,570 --> 00:13:35,718
and losing a considerable part
of its capabilities,

208
00:13:35,769 --> 00:13:39,720
today’s Russia remains
one of the most powerful nuclear states.

209
00:13:40,089 --> 00:13:46,192
Moreover, it has a certain advantage
in several cutting-edge weapons.

210
00:13:46,974 --> 00:13:49,890
In this context, there should be
no doubt for anyone

211
00:13:49,925 --> 00:13:55,295
that any potential aggressor
will face defeat and ominous consequences

212
00:13:55,325 --> 00:13:58,284
should it directly attack our country.

213
00:13:59,868 --> 00:14:03,345
At the same time, technology,
including in the defence sector,

214
00:14:03,375 --> 00:14:05,043
is changing rapidly.

215
00:14:05,494 --> 00:14:09,535
One day there is one leader,
and tomorrow another,

216
00:14:09,596 --> 00:14:13,490
but a military presence
in territories bordering on Russia,

217
00:14:13,540 --> 00:14:18,519
if we permit it to go ahead,
will stay for decades to come

218
00:14:18,554 --> 00:14:21,494
or maybe forever,

219
00:14:21,527 --> 00:14:25,249
creating an ever mounting

220
00:14:25,286 --> 00:14:27,546
and totally unacceptable threat
for Russia.

221
00:14:28,286 --> 00:14:30,507
Even now, with NATO’s eastward expansion

222
00:14:30,539 --> 00:14:35,273
the situation for Russia has been becoming
worse and more dangerous by the year.

223
00:14:35,821 --> 00:14:39,313
Moreover, these past days NATO leadership
has been blunt in its statements

224
00:14:39,336 --> 00:14:42,246
that they need to accelerate
and step up efforts

225
00:14:42,263 --> 00:14:45,618
to bring the alliance’s infrastructure
closer to Russia’s borders.

226
00:14:46,086 --> 00:14:49,888
In other words, they have been
toughening their position.

227
00:14:50,752 --> 00:14:55,150
We cannot stay idle and passively
observe these developments.

228
00:14:55,801 --> 00:14:59,590
This would be an absolutely
irresponsible thing to do for us.

229
00:15:00,385 --> 00:15:03,940
Any further expansion of the North
Atlantic alliance’s infrastructure

230
00:15:03,961 --> 00:15:07,591
or the ongoing efforts to gain military
foothold of the Ukrainian territory

231
00:15:07,607 --> 00:15:09,359
are unacceptable for us.

232
00:15:09,707 --> 00:15:12,125
Of course, the question
is not about NATO itself.

233
00:15:12,147 --> 00:15:14,585
It merely serves
as a tool of US foreign policy.

234
00:15:15,087 --> 00:15:18,449
The problem is that in territories
adjacent to Russia,

235
00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:21,234
which I have to note
is our historical land,

236
00:15:21,272 --> 00:15:24,239
a hostile “anti-Russia” is taking shape.

237
00:15:24,482 --> 00:15:27,825
Fully controlled from the outside,

238
00:15:27,863 --> 00:15:31,797
it is doing everything
to attract NATO armed forces

239
00:15:31,816 --> 00:15:34,838
and obtain cutting-edge weapons.

240
00:15:35,767 --> 00:15:40,735
For the United States and its allies,
it is a policy of containing Russia,

241
00:15:40,780 --> 00:15:43,318
with obvious geopolitical dividends.

242
00:15:43,396 --> 00:15:48,190
For our country,
it is a matter of life and death,

243
00:15:48,220 --> 00:15:51,316
a matter of our historical future
as a nation.

244
00:15:51,772 --> 00:15:54,731
This is not an exaggeration;
this is a fact!

245
00:15:54,775 --> 00:15:58,136
It is not only a very real threat
to our interests

246
00:15:58,179 --> 00:16:01,927
but to the very existence of our state
and to its sovereignty.

247
00:16:02,268 --> 00:16:07,152
It is the red line which we have spoken
about on numerous occasions.

248
00:16:08,445 --> 00:16:10,536
They have crossed it.

249
00:16:11,272 --> 00:16:14,811
This brings me
to the situation in Donbass.

250
00:16:15,524 --> 00:16:21,030
We can see that the forces
that staged the coup in Ukraine in 2014

251
00:16:21,042 --> 00:16:23,502
have seized power, are keeping it

252
00:16:23,518 --> 00:16:26,524
with the help of ornamental
election procedures

253
00:16:26,540 --> 00:16:30,260
and have abandoned the path
of a peaceful conflict settlement.

254
00:16:31,296 --> 00:16:36,289
For eight years, for eight endless years
we have been doing everything possible

255
00:16:36,328 --> 00:16:40,748
to settle the situation
by peaceful political means.

256
00:16:40,821 --> 00:16:42,544
Everything was in vain.

257
00:16:42,715 --> 00:16:46,226
As I said in my previous address,

258
00:16:46,252 --> 00:16:49,814
you cannot look without compassion
at what is happening there.

259
00:16:50,570 --> 00:16:53,780
It became impossible to tolerate it.

260
00:16:53,826 --> 00:16:56,795
We had to stop that atrocity,

261
00:16:56,851 --> 00:17:00,023
that genocide of the millions
of people who live there

262
00:17:00,058 --> 00:17:02,995
and who pinned their hopes on Russia,

263
00:17:03,049 --> 00:17:06,271
on all of us only.

264
00:17:07,744 --> 00:17:11,790
It is their aspirations, the feelings
and pain of these people

265
00:17:11,810 --> 00:17:14,467
that were the main motivating force
behind our decision

266
00:17:14,497 --> 00:17:17,509
to recognise the independence
of the Donbass people’s republics.

267
00:17:18,778 --> 00:17:21,556
I would like to additionally
emphasise the following.

268
00:17:22,866 --> 00:17:26,734
Focused on their own goals,
the leading NATO countries

269
00:17:26,793 --> 00:17:31,230
are supporting the far-right nationalists
and neo-Nazis in Ukraine,

270
00:17:31,292 --> 00:17:35,783
those who will never forgive
the people of Crimea and Sevastopol

271
00:17:35,819 --> 00:17:39,303
for freely making a choice
to reunite with Russia.

272
00:17:39,791 --> 00:17:42,281
They will undoubtedly try
to bring war to Crimea

273
00:17:43,267 --> 00:17:47,787
just as they have done in Donbass,
to kill innocent people

274
00:17:47,803 --> 00:17:52,504
just as members of the punitive units
of Ukrainian nationalists

275
00:17:52,543 --> 00:17:56,264
and Hitler’s accomplices did during
the Great Patriotic War

276
00:17:57,229 --> 00:18:02,532
They have also openly laid claim
to several other Russian regions.

277
00:18:04,262 --> 00:18:09,239
If we look at the sequence of events
and the incoming reports,

278
00:18:09,269 --> 00:18:13,463
the showdown between Russia
and these forces cannot be avoided.

279
00:18:13,707 --> 00:18:15,734
It is only a matter of time.

280
00:18:15,780 --> 00:18:19,567
They are getting ready
and waiting for the right moment.

281
00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:24,288
Moreover, they went as far as aspire
to acquire nuclear weapons.

282
00:18:25,041 --> 00:18:27,781
We will not let this happen.

283
00:18:28,542 --> 00:18:32,516
I have already said that Russia
accepted the new geopolitical reality

284
00:18:32,547 --> 00:18:34,858
after the dissolution of the USSR.

285
00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:37,516
We have been treating
all new post-Soviet states

286
00:18:37,555 --> 00:18:41,794
with respect and will continue
to act this way.

287
00:18:42,506 --> 00:18:45,550
We respect and will respect
their sovereignty,

288
00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:49,777
as proven by the assistance
we provided to Kazakhstan

289
00:18:49,822 --> 00:18:52,518
when it faced tragic events

290
00:18:52,551 --> 00:18:55,829
and a challenge in terms
of its statehood and integrity.

291
00:18:56,556 --> 00:18:59,724
However, Russia cannot feel safe,

292
00:18:59,746 --> 00:19:03,205
develop, and exist
while facing a permanent threat

293
00:19:03,266 --> 00:19:05,576
from the territory of today’s Ukraine.

294
00:19:06,285 --> 00:19:10,880
Let me remind you that in 2000–2005

295
00:19:10,905 --> 00:19:14,374
we used our military to push back
against terrorists in the Caucasus

296
00:19:14,396 --> 00:19:17,037
and stood up
for the integrity of our state.

297
00:19:17,057 --> 00:19:18,821
We preserved Russia.

298
00:19:19,304 --> 00:19:23,795
In 2014, we supported
the people of Crimea and Sevastopol.

299
00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:29,257
In 2015, we used our Armed Forces
to create a reliable shield

300
00:19:29,304 --> 00:19:33,359
that prevented terrorists from Syria
from penetrating Russia.

301
00:19:33,790 --> 00:19:37,121
This was a matter of defending ourselves.
We had no other choice.

302
00:19:37,539 --> 00:19:40,531
The same is happening today.

303
00:19:41,270 --> 00:19:46,752
They did not leave us any other option
for defending Russia and our people,

304
00:19:46,799 --> 00:19:51,036
other than the one
we are forced to use today.

305
00:19:52,754 --> 00:19:56,845
In these circumstances, we have
to take bold and immediate action.

306
00:19:57,552 --> 00:20:02,052
The people’s republics of Donbass
have asked Russia for help.

307
00:20:03,133 --> 00:20:04,561
In this context,

308
00:20:04,605 --> 00:20:09,061
in accordance with Article 51
(Chapter VII) of the UN Charter,

309
00:20:09,088 --> 00:20:11,771
with permission
of Russia’s Federation Council,

310
00:20:11,787 --> 00:20:15,205
and in execution of the treaties
of friendship and mutual assistance

311
00:20:15,221 --> 00:20:19,228
with the Donetsk People’s Republic
and the Lugansk People’s Republic,

312
00:20:19,258 --> 00:20:23,518
ratified by the Federal Assembly
on February 22,

313
00:20:24,285 --> 00:20:29,291
I made a decision to carry out
a special military operation.

314
00:20:31,162 --> 00:20:33,506
The purpose of this operation
is to protect people

315
00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:37,254
who, for eight years now, have been
facing humiliation and genocide

316
00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:39,348
perpetrated by the Kiev regime.

317
00:20:39,937 --> 00:20:45,024
To this end, we will seek
to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine,

318
00:20:45,476 --> 00:20:47,740
as well as bring to trial those

319
00:20:47,765 --> 00:20:52,487
who perpetrated numerous
bloody crimes against civilians,

320
00:20:52,529 --> 00:20:55,534
including against citizens
of the Russian Federation.

321
00:20:56,750 --> 00:21:00,497
It is not our plan to occupy
the Ukrainian territory.

322
00:21:00,540 --> 00:21:03,764
We do not intend to impose
anything on anyone by force.

323
00:21:04,771 --> 00:21:08,806
At the same time, we have been hearing
an increasing number of statements

324
00:21:08,842 --> 00:21:13,490
coming from the West that there is no need
any more to abide by the documents

325
00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:16,190
setting forth the outcomes
of World War II, as signed

326
00:21:16,227 --> 00:21:18,491
by the totalitarian Soviet regime.

327
00:21:18,825 --> 00:21:21,249
How can we respond to that?

328
00:21:21,603 --> 00:21:24,130
The outcomes of World War II
and the sacrifices

329
00:21:24,182 --> 00:21:28,888
our people had to make
to defeat Nazism are sacred.

330
00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:33,276
This does not contradict
the high values of human rights

331
00:21:33,786 --> 00:21:38,993
and freedoms in the reality
that emerged over the post-war decades.

332
00:21:39,991 --> 00:21:43,630
This does not mean that nations cannot
enjoy the right to self-determination,

333
00:21:43,658 --> 00:21:46,006
which is enshrined in Article 1
of the UN Charter.

334
00:21:46,182 --> 00:21:49,823
Let me remind you
that the people living in territories

335
00:21:49,854 --> 00:21:55,467
which are part of today’s Ukraine were not
asked how they want to build their lives

336
00:21:55,539 --> 00:22:00,752
when the USSR was created
or after World War II.

337
00:22:01,511 --> 00:22:03,962
Freedom guides our policy,

338
00:22:03,989 --> 00:22:10,276
the freedom to choose independently
our future and the future of our children.

339
00:22:10,513 --> 00:22:12,298
We believe

340
00:22:12,346 --> 00:22:16,813
that all the peoples living in today’s
Ukraine, anyone who want to do this,

341
00:22:16,871 --> 00:22:21,274
must be able to enjoy this right
to make a free choice.

342
00:22:22,221 --> 00:22:25,552
In this context I would like
to address the citizens of Ukraine.

343
00:22:26,059 --> 00:22:30,759
In 2014, Russia was obliged to protect
the people of Crimea and Sevastopol

344
00:22:30,798 --> 00:22:34,285
from those who you yourself call “nats.”

345
00:22:34,610 --> 00:22:37,408
The people of Crimea and Sevastopol
made their choice

346
00:22:37,433 --> 00:22:40,463
in favour of being with their
historical homeland, Russia,

347
00:22:40,483 --> 00:22:42,099
and we supported their choice.

348
00:22:42,250 --> 00:22:45,814
As I said, we could not act otherwise.

349
00:22:46,135 --> 00:22:48,589
The current events have
nothing to do with a desire

350
00:22:48,612 --> 00:22:51,709
to infringe on the interests of Ukraine
and the Ukrainian people.

351
00:22:51,780 --> 00:22:54,144
They are connected
with the defending Russia

352
00:22:54,177 --> 00:22:57,131
from those who have taken Ukraine hostage

353
00:22:57,165 --> 00:23:00,512
and are trying to use it
against our country and our people.

354
00:23:01,244 --> 00:23:06,259
I reiterate: we are acting to defend
ourselves from the threats created for us

355
00:23:06,829 --> 00:23:10,523
and from a worse peril
than what is happening now.

356
00:23:11,020 --> 00:23:13,705
I am asking you, however hard this may be,

357
00:23:13,734 --> 00:23:16,438
to understand this
and to work together with us

358
00:23:16,467 --> 00:23:19,720
so as to turn this tragic page
as soon as possible

359
00:23:19,756 --> 00:23:22,141
and to move forward together,

360
00:23:22,183 --> 00:23:26,232
without allowing anyone to interfere
in our affairs and our relations

361
00:23:26,269 --> 00:23:28,354
but developing them independently,

362
00:23:28,371 --> 00:23:33,460
so as to create favourable conditions
for overcoming all these problems

363
00:23:33,502 --> 00:23:36,062
and to strengthen us
from within as a single whole,

364
00:23:36,098 --> 00:23:39,336
despite the existence of state borders.

365
00:23:40,062 --> 00:23:44,226
I believe in this, in our common future.

366
00:23:45,281 --> 00:23:49,215
I would also like to address the military
personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

367
00:23:49,869 --> 00:23:51,618
Comrade officers,

368
00:23:51,819 --> 00:23:54,331
Your fathers, grandfathers
and great-grandfathers

369
00:23:54,377 --> 00:23:58,766
did not fight the Nazi occupiers
and did not defend our common Motherland

370
00:23:58,779 --> 00:24:02,268
to allow today’s neo-Nazis
to seize power in Ukraine.

371
00:24:02,864 --> 00:24:06,040
You swore the oath of allegiance
to the Ukrainian people

372
00:24:06,067 --> 00:24:09,444
and not to the junta, the people’s
adversary which is plundering Ukraine

373
00:24:09,470 --> 00:24:11,691
and humiliating the Ukrainian people.

374
00:24:12,205 --> 00:24:14,821
I urge you to refuse to carry out
their criminal orders.

375
00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:19,752
I urge you to immediately
lay down arms and go home.

376
00:24:20,363 --> 00:24:21,948
I will explain what this means:

377
00:24:21,974 --> 00:24:25,793
all the military personnel
of the Ukrainian army who do this

378
00:24:25,823 --> 00:24:29,195
will be able to freely leave
the zone of hostilities

379
00:24:29,236 --> 00:24:31,777
and return to their families.

380
00:24:32,782 --> 00:24:35,095
I want to emphasise again

381
00:24:35,125 --> 00:24:37,972
that all responsibility
for the possible bloodshed

382
00:24:38,002 --> 00:24:43,455
will lie fully and wholly
with the ruling Ukrainian regime.

383
00:24:45,260 --> 00:24:49,381
I would now like to say something
very important for those

384
00:24:49,426 --> 00:24:51,501
who may be tempted

385
00:24:51,531 --> 00:24:54,504
to interfere in these developments
from the outside.

386
00:24:55,283 --> 00:24:57,238
No matter who tries to stand in our way

387
00:24:57,289 --> 00:25:01,476
or all the more so create threats
for our country and our people,

388
00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:06,200
they must know that Russia
will respond immediately,

389
00:25:06,241 --> 00:25:11,221
and the consequences will be such
as you have never seen

390
00:25:11,254 --> 00:25:13,856
in your entire history.

391
00:25:14,837 --> 00:25:17,841
No matter how the events unfold,
we are ready.

392
00:25:18,269 --> 00:25:22,114
All the necessary decisions
in this regard have been taken.

393
00:25:22,733 --> 00:25:25,996
I hope that my words will be heard.

394
00:25:28,525 --> 00:25:30,776
Citizens of Russia,

395
00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,770
The culture and values, experience
and traditions of our ancestors

396
00:25:35,804 --> 00:25:38,303
invariably provided
a powerful underpinning

397
00:25:38,358 --> 00:25:43,510
for the wellbeing and the very existence
of entire states and nations,

398
00:25:43,570 --> 00:25:45,919
their success and viability.

399
00:25:46,655 --> 00:25:49,449
Of course, this directly
depends on the ability

400
00:25:49,497 --> 00:25:52,744
to quickly adapt to constant change,

401
00:25:52,782 --> 00:25:56,268
maintain social cohesion,
and readiness to consolidate

402
00:25:56,296 --> 00:25:59,733
and summon all the available forces
in order to move forward.

403
00:25:59,898 --> 00:26:02,904
We always need to be strong, always,

404
00:26:02,942 --> 00:26:05,844
but this strength
can take on different forms.

405
00:26:07,216 --> 00:26:11,498
The “empire of lies,” which I mentioned
in the beginning of my speech,

406
00:26:11,531 --> 00:26:15,622
proceeds in its policy primarily
from rough, direct force.

407
00:26:15,726 --> 00:26:20,147
This is when our saying on being
“all brawn and no brains” applies.

408
00:26:20,704 --> 00:26:25,049
We all know that having
justice and truth on our side

409
00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:27,566
is what makes us truly strong.

410
00:26:28,110 --> 00:26:31,509
If this is the case,
it would be hard to disagree

411
00:26:31,567 --> 00:26:35,200
with the fact that it is our strength
and our readiness to fight

412
00:26:35,211 --> 00:26:38,763
that are the bedrock
of independence and sovereignty

413
00:26:38,805 --> 00:26:41,524
and provide the necessary foundation

414
00:26:41,573 --> 00:26:45,227
for building a reliable future

415
00:26:45,269 --> 00:26:49,796
for your home, your family,
and your Motherland.

416
00:26:52,188 --> 00:26:54,323
Dear compatriots,

417
00:26:54,481 --> 00:27:00,486
I am certain that devoted soldiers
and officers of Russia’s Armed Forces

418
00:27:00,516 --> 00:27:05,279
will perform their duty
with professionalism and courage.

419
00:27:05,487 --> 00:27:11,052
I have no doubt that the government
institutions at all levels and specialists

420
00:27:11,090 --> 00:27:14,581
will work effectively to guarantee
the stability of our economy,

421
00:27:14,609 --> 00:27:17,177
financial system and social wellbeing,

422
00:27:17,195 --> 00:27:20,950
the same applies to corporate executives
and the entire business community.

423
00:27:21,721 --> 00:27:24,783
I hope that all parliamentary
parties and civil society

424
00:27:24,806 --> 00:27:27,836
take a consolidated, patriotic position.

425
00:27:28,672 --> 00:27:32,205
At the end of the day,
the future of Russia

426
00:27:32,236 --> 00:27:35,777
is in the hands
of its multi-ethnic people,

427
00:27:35,808 --> 00:27:38,806
as has always been
the case in our history.

428
00:27:39,253 --> 00:27:43,796
This means that the decisions
that I made will be executed,

429
00:27:43,825 --> 00:27:46,727
that we will achieve
the goals we have set,

430
00:27:46,759 --> 00:27:50,816
and reliably guarantee
the security of our Motherland.

431
00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:53,638
I believe in your support

432
00:27:53,696 --> 00:27:55,777
and the invincible force

433
00:27:55,800 --> 00:28:00,306
rooted in the love for our Fatherland.