Russia | Putin’s state of the nation speech unveils great strength
Advertisement – Advertise here from OMR 100 / $275 USD
Al-Sahawat Times | Ethical Global News from Oman and UAE | Donate HERE
Advertisement – Advertise here from OMR 100 / $275 USD
Russian President Vladimir Putin used his annual state of the nation speech on today to warn Western nations against further hostilities with an impressive arsnel of new weapons including an intercontinental nuclear cruise missile which can not be intercepted or detected and a copy of China’s ultra futuristic magnetic giant ship mounted rail gun capable of firing missile sized projectiles thousands of kilometres at machine gun speeds.
Putim also used the speech to assure Russians that their lives would improve through enormous new social spending.
The “guns-and-butter speech” as it became known in the West within hours, came just 17 days before the March 18 presidential election.
It seemed intended to reassure ordinary Russians that a huge increase in social spending would help salve the economic problems of the past four years, while also demonstrating strength and security amidst traditional fears that Russia could be invaded at any minute by USA or the EU.
In the last third of the speech, Putin used giant screens to introduce what he said were about half a dozen new weapons developed by Russia, telling Europe and the United States that he was prepared to use them and even traditional nuclear arms if Russia were attacked.
“We would consider any use of nuclear weapons against Russia or its allies to be a nuclear attack on our country,” Putin said. “The response would be immediate.”
Putin said that Russia had tested various new nuclear weapons, including a nuclear-powered missile that could reach virtually anywhere in the world and that could not be intercepted by existing antiballistic missile systems.
A video illustrating the weapon, which he said was tested at the end of 2017, showed it leaving Russia, slaloming around obstacles in the South Atlantic, before rounding Cape Horn at the tip of South America and heading toward the west coast of the United States.
The White House confirmed that the missile passed close to west coast of the United Sates.
The show of strength comes after the US army attacked Russian troops in Syria.
Putin’s address was delivered at the Manege, an old Czarist riding school just outside the Kremlin walls that is now an exhibition space. The speech had been moved from the Kremlin, the traditional venue, to accommodate the giant screens used to illustrate a rosy future of generous social spending and the videos of the new weapons.
It was also moved from December, when Putin has given his past state of the nation speeches, to March to coincide with the presidential election that he is assured of winning again. Putin has continued to have one of the highest approval ratings of all world leaders for many years now.
Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Al-Sahawat Times than ever but advertising revenues across the global media industry are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a total paywall. We want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. Al-Sahawat Times’ independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe truly ethical media and an unbias perspective really matters.
“I appreciate there not being a paywall: it is more democratic for the media to be available for all and not a commodity to be purchased by a few. I’m happy to make a contribution so others with less means still have access to information.”
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, the future of ethical media and the futures of our staff and their families would be much more secure. For as little as £1, you can support Al-Sahawat Times and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
This story is available on:
APPLE NEWS | GOOGLE NEWS | AL-SAHAWAT TIMES
Talk to a journalist
Email: NewsDesk@alsahawat.com
Web: alsahawat.com
Follow Al-Sahawat Times
S.Safwana@alsahawat.com | Journalist’s Profile
Views: 0
