Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his most furious self during a televised address yesterday where he warned the West and oligarchs alike, telling any “traitors” he will “spit them out like a midge”.
During his Kremlin address, Putin claimed Western nations would use “those who earn their money here, but live over there” to divide society.
“I do not judge those with villas in Miami or the French Riviera. Or who can’t get by without oysters or foie gras or so-called ‘gender freedoms’,” Mr Putin said.
“The problem is they mentally exist there, and not here, with our people, with Russia. The West will try to bet on the so-called fifth column, on traitors … to divide our society. to provoke civil confrontation … to strive to achieve its aim. And there is one aim – the destruction of Russia.”
Meanwhile on Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced sanctions against a number of US officials including US President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, CIA Director William Burns, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and the US leader’s son Hunter Biden.
However, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified that Moscow’s move to sanction US President Joe Biden does not mean that Russia refuses to hold contacts with the United States.
“These sanctions don’t mean a refusal to hold contacts,” he pointed out. “Contacts can resume if need be,” Peskov added.
He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not talked with his US counterpart after the launch of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
