The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, assumes this Tuesday (05/07/2024) his fifth term at the head of the Kremlin, after 24 years in power and with the unfinished business of winning the war in Ukraine, repressing any hint of popular discontent and resist pressure from NATO and the West.
Russia announced on Monday that it would carry out nuclear exercises near Ukraine “in the near future” and warned that its army could attack British military equipment in that country, in response to statements by leaders of Western powers about a possible shipment of soldiers.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, in February 2022, Putin has put the possibility of resorting to nuclear weapons on the table several times.
USA: it is “irresponsible rhetoric”
The United States called Russia’s announcement that it will conduct nuclear exercises near Ukraine “irresponsible rhetoric.”
“This is an example of the type of irresponsible rhetoric we have seen from Russia in the past. It is completely inappropriate given the current security situation,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder told reporters. He added that the United States has not seen “any changes in strategic force positioning” but will continue to “monitor.”
Previously, the Russian Ministry of Defense had announced in a statement the organization of exercises “to train in the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons,” which can be used on the battlefield and fired at missiles.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov singled out French President Emmanuel Macron, whose rhetoric he called “very dangerous,” as did statements by senior British and American leaders.
Last week, Macron reiterated his position on a possible sending of troops to Ukraine “if the Russians broke the front lines, if there was a Ukrainian request”, an issue he had already raised in February.
Putin, 20 years in power
The official ceremony to begin Putin’s new term will take place at noon in the Kremlin’s St. Andrew’s Hall, which was built in the mid-19th century as the throne room of Tsar Nicholas I.
The controversial constitutional reform of 2020 allowed Putin, 71, to remove the legal obstacle that prevented him from remaining in the Kremlin until 2030.
Putin, who has been in power since 2000, won the presidential elections on March 17 with more than 87% of the votes, an unprecedented result condemned by Western foreign ministries since the elections were held without significant rivals for him. ruler.
gs (efe, afp, ap)
