Russia and Ukraine: On the anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, Putin talks about the return of the “threat” of German tanks

Russia launched its all-out war on Ukraine nearly a year ago, prompting Western countries to send weapons and supplies to the government in Kyiv.

Putin hinted in his speech about Volgograd, the new name for Stalingrad, that he might look to bypass conventional arms.

“Those who hope to defeat Russia do not understand. It seems that a modern war against Russia will be different for them,” said the 70-year-old president, adding: “We did not send our tanks to their borders. But we have the capabilities to respond to them. Not only will this matter On armored weapons. Everyone should know this.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to explain Putin’s statement, but told a news conference: “Since the Western alliance is sending new weapons, Russia will resort to its capabilities to respond to this.”

Putin was in Volgograd to commemorate the end of the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II, in which the Soviet army captured 91,000 German soldiers and turned the balance of power in the war.

And he spent more than a million people in the battle, as it is the deadliest in World War II.

Throughout the war, Putin has portrayed his country’s invasion of Ukraine as a battle against the nationalists and the Nazis, who he claims lead the government in Kyiv.

He returned to this issue in his new speech, saying, “What we notice, unfortunately, is that the Nazi ideas wore a modern suit and a modern appearance, and they once again pose a direct threat to the security of our country.”

“And we are once again forced to repel the aggression of the Western coalition against us.”

But he pledged that despite the threat of German tanks, Moscow has the ability to respond to any country that threatens it.

During the events, a statue of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who ruled the Soviet Union from 1924 to his death in 1953, was unveiled and accused of masterminding a famine in Ukraine between 1932 and 1933.

It is believed that 5 million people died in that famine. It was also recognized as a genocide earlier this week in Bulgaria.

Putin laid a wreath at the grave of the Soviet marshal who oversaw the city’s defense, visited the museum complex and observed a minute’s silence for those killed in the battle.

Thousands of Volgograd residents lined the city streets to watch the military parade.

While the planes were flying in the sky of the city, tanks roamed the streets, some of which date back to World War II, including modern tanks, with the Latin letter Z, which has become a symbol of the war in Ukraine.

As for the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, he said that Moscow was preparing to “revenge” the West for helping Ukraine.

He warned that “Russia is gathering its forces now. Everyone knows that. It is preparing for revenge, not only from Ukraine but from free Europe, and the free world as well.”

Speaking alongside the President of the European Commission, Ursula Vanderlein, he added, “Russia is accelerating the process of adapting to the sanctions, and urged EU leaders to impose more restrictions on the Russian economy.”