Putin says Russia isn’t fighting Ukrainian people
Date
12/17/2024 3:59:01 AM
(MENAFN) Russia’s conflict is directed at the illegitimate government in Kiev, not the Ukrainian people, President Vladimir Putin stated on Monday during a televised meeting at the Russian Defense Ministry. He emphasized that the US-backed 2014 Maidan coup in Kiev was the root cause of many of the current issues faced by both Ukraine and Russia.
Putin argued that Volodymyr Zelensky no longer holds a legitimate claim to power, asserting that his policies are criminal under Ukrainian law. He accused the current leader of Kiev of being responsible for crimes committed against both Ukrainians and Russians.
Zelensky’s refusal to hold presidential and parliamentary elections this year, citing martial law, meant he stayed in power after his term ended in May. According to the Ukrainian constitution, presidential powers should have been transferred to the speaker of the parliament in such a scenario.
Putin stated that Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine is with those who have usurped power, not the general population.
“We are not fighting against the Ukrainian people, but the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev,” Putin said, stressing that the origins of the current problems between Ukraine and Russia trace back to the violent 2014 coup in Kiev.
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