ST PETERSBURG: President Vladimir Putin spoke on the war in Ukraine, nuclear weapons, and more at Russia’s flagship annual economic forum in St Petersburg on Friday.
Here are some highlights from his speech.
On Ukraine: “A brief analysis of the constitution of Ukraine shows that the current Ukrainian authorities have lost their legitimacy. It seems like we are dealing with the usurpation of power.
“All armed conflicts end with peace talks.
“We are ready for talks, but on the same conditions we discussed first in Minsk and then in Istanbul and not on some made-up ones. However, even with the Istanbul (agreements) as the basis, we must take into account the realities of today.
“Military mobilisation is unnecessary (in Russia) and we do not plan it.”
On Nuclear Confrontation With The West: “We have a nuclear doctrine which states that the use of nuclear…
