Anti-NATO protests hit German And France

©Twitter / Florian Philippot

Drumbeats, cowbells and chants of "Ami, go home!" echoed through the streets of the German village of Ramstein-Miesenbach on Sunday, as a large gathering of anti-war protesters took to the streets with Russian flags and handwritten placards.

Meanwhile in France, after earlier mass pension fund protests, Monday mass protests against France's NATO membership and its continued support of Kiev were held on Sunday in the capital Paris and in other locations across the country.

he demonstrations, taking place for the second consecutive weekend, were organized by the right-wing Les Patriotes party, led by Florian Philippot, who personally attended the rally in Paris.

The politician claimed the event on Sunday, dubbed National March for Peace, attracted even more participants than last week, when some 10,000 showed up for a rally in the French capital. According to Philippot, smaller-scale anti-NATO protests were held at some 30 other locations across France as well.

Nouvelle manifestation contre la subvention de la guerre en Ukraine 🇺🇦 et la sortie de la France 🇫🇷de l’OTAN.
Les médias continuent de nous ignorer, mais la résistance monte en France👊

👉Des milliers de personnes à Paris ce 26/02/23 @_LesPatriotes @f_philippot ! #1an pic.twitter.com/3XKhijHoRc

— Tamila Tapayeva (@tamilatapayeva) February 26, 2023

Protesters marched through the streets of Paris, carrying a large banner reading "For Peace." The marchers called for the withdrawal of France from both the US-led NATO and from the EU, and urged a halt to supplying Ukraine with weaponry. The protesters also took jabs at the incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron, chanting "Macron get out!" – a slogan commonly used by assorted anti-government protesters throughout his presidency.

Following the march, the protesters held a rally led by Philippot, who was filmed defacing NATO and EU flags alongside his supporters. Footage of the event was shared by the politician himself on social media.

The politician has been actively staging protests against French membership in NATO and the EU since last fall, while arguing against the supply of weapons to Ukraine. Between 2012 and 2017, Philippot was the deputy head of the biggest opposition party in France, the National Rally, led until last year by Marine Le Pen. After leaving the National Rally, the 41-year-old politician established his own right-wing party, Les Patriotes.

On a déchiré les drapeaux de l’UE et de l’OTAN aujourd’hui en #MarcheNationalePourLaPaix !
Le symbole de notre libération !
➡️ Sortons de l’OTAN et l’UE, organisations de guerre !
Vidéo ! ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/st3pOEKmj9

— Florian Philippot (@f_philippot) February 26, 2023

France has been among the top supporters of Kiev in the ongoing conflict with Russia, which broke out a year ago. While Macron has repeatedly called for a diplomatic settlement of the hostilities, Paris has actively supplied assorted weaponry to Ukraine, including armored vehicles and advanced self-propelled howitzers.

In Germany the protests were organized by a mix of right-wing German politicians and Russian expatriates, protesters marched from the small Ramstein railway station towards the main gate of Ramstein Air Base, the largest US Air Force installation in Europe.

Focusing on Russia's war in Ukraine, the protest drew large crowds who shared organizers' pro-Kremlin views. They also include supporters of nuclear disarmament and anti-vaccine activists. German police estimated a crowd of 2,500 people at peak, according to a statement Sunday.

A pro-Kurdish contingent from the leftist rally in Munich (Photo: @KGK_News Twitter)

The protest also was aimed at the U.S. presence in the country. "Ami" is a German abbreviated term for American, often used in a derogatory way.

Roads surrounding Ramstein and the base main gate were temporarily shut down to vehicle traffic to provide the protesters with safe passage.

“We respect citizens’ right to exercise freedom of speech, expression and opinion,” a spokeswoman with the 86th Airflift Wing told Stars and Stripes ahead of the protest.

The march and rally occurred without incident, police said.

The couple at the center of Sunday's protest, Elena Kolbasnikova and Max Schlund, are known for organizing similar protests throughout Germany.

Schlund was identified in a Reuters report in January as Rostislav Teslyuk, a former Russian air force officer. A later Reuters report stated that the couple had donated 500 euros to a Russian rifle division, and that they received tickets from the Berlin arm of a Russian state cultural promotion agency, Rossotrudnichestvo, to travel to Moscow for a conference addressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The couple has expressed their opposition to what they see as Western aggression against Russia.

They chose Ramstein Air Base as the location of their protest because it is a hub for U.S. military operations in Europe, Kolbasnikova said.

The base also is the site of the recurring Ukraine Defense Contact Group, where international defense leaders have repeatedly discussed military aid for Ukraine.

“I’m very happy with the day and that so many people showed up, and that so many in this country understand what’s really going on,” Kolbasnikova said after the protest. “The media only shows one-sided truth. We’re here to say that we don’t all agree.”

Kolbasnikova, who describes herself as a Ukrainian-born Russian, said that ending weapons deliveries to Ukraine would force negotiations and an eventual peace. When asked about her contributions to the Russian war effort as reported by Reuters, Kolbasnikova declined to comment and walked away.

Most Western security analysts disagree with her views. In 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and supported separatists in the eastern part of country in battles that left 14,000 dead through 2021, according to United Nations figures.

On Feb. 24 last year, Russia launched a full-scale invasion, including a failed attempt to capture Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. The U.S. and NATO allies have spent billions of dollars arming Ukraine to defend itself against Russia, which has suffered setbacks but still holds large areas of Ukraine.

Moscow’s gains have come at the cost of well over 100,000 soldiers killed, according to allied estimates. Ukraine also has seen high death counts among soldiers and civilians, had millions of its citizens displaced and suffered considerable damage to its cities and infrastructure.

The German government has backed Ukraine since Russia’s attack last year, though it has taken criticism from allies for slowly coming around on giving Kyiv offensive weaponry. Germany had been largely dependent on Russian energy purchases until last year’s invasion.

And while Cold War-era West Germany and the unified German state that followed has long been a U.S. ally, some across the political spectrum have long maintained links to Russia.

For example, the far-right Alternative for Germany party was represented at Sunday’s protest. But Gerhard Schroeder, a former German chancellor for the ruling center-left Social Democratic Party, has served on the boards of Russian companies and defended Putin. Schroeder narrowly survived an internal bid last year to oust him from the party he once led.

Ramstein Air Base has been a focus of anti-war activism in Germany for decades. Protesters generally have gathered annually in recent years to demonstrate against U.S. drone operations, among other activities.

STB Meledak Berujung Kebakaran di Bogor

Kebakaran menghanguskan rumah warga Kampung Ciparay Mandala, Desa Parung Panjang, Kecamatan Parung Panjang, Kabupaten Bogor, hari Minggu, 26/02/2023. (Foto: Istimewa)

Kebakaran rumah akibat ledakan Set Top Box (STB) TV milik warga Kampung Ciparay Mandala, Desa Parung Panjang, Kecamatan Parung Panjang, Kabupaten Bogor, Jawa Barat, meledak pada hari Minggu pagi, 26/02/2023.

Saat kejadian penghuni rumah yang saat itu sedang menonton televisi dibuat kaget. Mereka langsung menyelamatkan diri meminta pertolongan tetangga. Kemudian para tetangga kemudian melaporkan kejadian itu ke petugas pemadam kebakaran (Damkar).

Beruntung, tidak sampai ada korban jiwa. Namun, pemilik rumah atas nama Anang harus kehilangan barang-barang berharga keluarganya karena ludes dilahap api.

Tim Dinas Pemadam Kebakaran (Disdamkar) Kabupaten Bogor, Jawa Barat, memadamkan kebakaran sebuah rumah di Kampung Ciparay Mandala, Parungpanjang, Bogor, akibat satu unit set top box (STB) meledak.

Komandan Sektor Parungpanjang Disdamkar Kabupaten Bogor, M Wahyu Malik dalam keterangannya di Bogor, Ahad, menerjunkan dua armada damkar untuk memadamkan api setelah menerima laporan kebakaran sekitar pukul 10.00 WIB.

Sebanyak 11 personel damkar melakukan upaya pemadaman api yang membakar beberapa peralatan seperti televisi dan lemari hingga sekitar pukul 13.20 WIB.

Komandan Sektor Damkar Parung Panjang M Wahyu Malik menjelaskan, STB yang tiba-tiba meledak menjadi penyebab kebakaran seisi rumah.

Situasi akhir proses pemadaman berjalan dengan lancar, tanpa ada kendala. Rumah tidak ludes, hanya TV dan lemari (yang terbakar)," kata Wahyu.

Menurutnya, peristiwa yang terjadi pada Ahad pagi itu bermula saat pemilik rumah menonton tayangan televisi menggunakan alat STB. Namun, alat STB yang digunakan tiba-tiba meledak dan percikan apinya menyambar ke televisi dan lemari.

Wahyu menyebutkan, berdasarkan keterangan yang ia dapat, setelah alat STB meledak, seisi rumah heboh dan langsung menyelamatkan diri meminta pertolongan tetangga.

Hasil analisa, STB tersebut diduga digunakan terlalu lama atau dipaksa bekerja terlalu keras. Kondisi itu yang akhirnya merusak komponen STB sehingga menghasilkan akumulasi panas atau panas berlebihan. Alhasil, STB tersebut meledak dan mengeluarkan api.

"Kalau dari perkiraan STB bisa meledak karena panas. Jadi si STB itu ketika tv on STB-nya panas. Nah, kemungkinan ada komponen STB yang tidak kuat menahan panas ketika tv dalam kondisi on," kata Wahyu saat dihubungi Kompas.com, Minggu.

Oleh karena itu, Wahyu mengingatkan, penggunaan STB berlebihan sangat tidak disarankan. Apalagi, TV selalu menyala.

Bahkan ketika TV dimatikan, si STB tidak ikut dimatikan atau lupa mematikannya. Ledakan akhirnya terjadi karena dipicu akumulasi panas akibat terlalu lama digunakan.

"Karena kan ada kemungkinan STB itu tidak disetting 24 jam. Ketika lebih dari waktunya (digunakan berlebihan) jadinya panas. Ya berarti hati-hati aja," ujar dia.

Atas kejadian ini, Wahyu mengingatkan warga untuk lebih memerhatikan durasi menonton TV atau penggunaan STB secara berlebihan karena dapat membuat masalah besar, salah satunya kebakaran.

"Yang perlu diperhatikan dari contoh kasus ini berarti durasi lamanya menyaksikan TV harus diatur," imbaunya. Sebelumnya diberitakan, sebuah rumah warga di Kampung Ciparay Mandala, Desa Parung Panjang, Kecamatan Parung Panjang, Kabupaten Bogor, Jawa Barat, kebakaran akibat set top box (STB) TV meledak, pada hari Minggu, 26/02/2023.

Penghuni rumah yang saat itu sedang menonton TV dibuat kaget oleh ledakan tersebut. Seisi rumah heboh dan langsung menyelamatkan diri meminta pertolongan tetangga.

"Iya sedang nonton TV. Aman tidak ada korban jiwa. Tapi TV dan lemari-lemarinya ludes terbakar," kata Komandan Sektor Pemadam Kebakaran Parung Panjang M Wahyu Malik.

Dam Katulampa Level Siaga 3, 21 RT di Jakarta Terendam Banjir

Sebanyak 21 RT di Jakarta terendam banjir akibat hujan deras yang mengguyur Ibu Kota sejak Minggu malam hingga Senin (27/2/2023).Foto/Ilustrasi/MPI/Dok

Dam Katulampa, Kota Bogor, Jawa Barat yang dialiri Sungai Ciliwung berstatus siaga 3 banjir Jakarta, dengan kenaikan tinggi muka air (TMA) mencapai 110 cm pada hari Minggu malam, pukul 22.22 WIB, 26/02/2023.

Kepala Petugas jaga Bendung Katulampa Andi Sudirman, Minggu malam, mengatakan hujan sedang di kawasan Puncak Bogor, berdampak menaikkan TMA di Bendung Katulampa malam ini.

"Hujan merata di wilayah Bogor. Puncak sebagai hulu Ciliwung menyumbang debit air cukup tinggi malam ini," kata Andi.

Andi menyampaikan hingga malam ini kawasan puncak masih gerimis. Debit air dari Bogor menuju Jakarta diperkirakan dini hari nanti menjelang pagi.

Menurut Andi, kemungkinan TMA kembali menurun bisa saja terjadi cepat atau lambat tergantung hujan yang terjadi di Puncak, Cisarua, Kabupaten Bogor.

"Naik turun debit tergantung datangnya dari Puncak. Sebaiknya warga Jakarta tetap siaga banjir," ujarnya lagi.

Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG) memprakirakan hujan sedang hingga lebat di Jawa Barat terjadi di luar wilayah Bogor. Namun demikian, hujan gerimis dikombinasi sedang di wilayah Puncak Bogor membuat tinggi muka air di Bendung Katulampa meningkat.

Pantauan kondisi hujan di Kota Bogor dalam beberapa hari ini gerimis seharian, selang-seling pagi hingga malam.

Hujan Deras, 21 RT di Jakarta Terendam Banjir

Sebanyak 21 Rukun Tetangga (RT) di Jakarta terendam banjir akibat hujan deras yang mengguyur Ibu Kota sejak Minggu malam hingga hari Senin, 27/2/2023. Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (BPBD) DKI Jakarta mencatat puluhan RT terendam banjir dengan ketinggian air mulai 30-80 cm.

"Pukul 03.00 WIB, BPBD mencatat genangan yang sebelumnya terjadi di 17 RT dan 3 ruas jalan tergenang saat ini menjadi 21 RT atau 0,069% dari 30.470 RT yang ada di wilayah DKI Jakarta," kata Kepala Pusdatin BPBD DKI, M Insyaf dalam keterangannya, hari Senin, 27/2/2023.

Adapun data wilayah terdampak yang masih tergenang adalah sebagai berikut, di Jakarta Barat sebanyak 11 RT, Jakarta Selatan 2 RT, dan Jakarta Timur sebanyak 8 RT.

"Ketinggian air mulai dari 30-80 cm. Penyebab banjir karena curah hujan tinggi, luapa Kali Item, Kali Krukut, dan Kali Ciliwung," ujarnya.

Menurut Insyah, BPBD DKI Jakarta mengerahkan personel untuk memonitor kondisi genangan di setiap wilayah dan mengoordinasikan unsur Dinas SDA, Dinas Bina Marga, Dinas Gulkarmat untuk melakukan penyedotan genangan dan memastikan tali-tali air berfungsi dengan baik bersama dengan para lurah dan camat setempat.

"Genangan ditargetkan untuk surut dalam waktu cepat," ucapnya. BPBD DKI mengimbau dalam keadaan darurat, segera hubungi nomor telepon 112. Layanan ini gratis dan beroperasi selama 24 jam nonstop.

Russia to push threat off its borders depending on weapons supplied to Ukraine — Shoigu

©Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

Russia will have to push the threat off its borders to a distance depending on weapons the West will supply to Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Sunday.

"It will depend on weapons it will receive," he said in an interview with the Moscow.Kremlin.Putin program on the Rossiya-1 television channel.

In his state of the nation address, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia will be forced to push the threat further off its border in case the Kiev regime is supplied with long-range systems by the West.

Russian armed forces destroy up to 70 Ukrainian troops in Kherson area, says top brass

"In the Kherson area, up to 70 Ukrainian troops, six cars and three D-30 howitzers were eliminated in counter-battery fire in 24 hours," the spokesman said.

Ukraine’s boats attack ships evacuating Ukrainian troops who surrendered on Snake Island

At least 16 Ukrainian naval boats attempted to attack the Black Sea Fleet ships that were evacuating the Ukrainian troops who had laid down their arms and surrendered on Snake Island, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a briefing on Saturday.

He added that the boats could have been directed by US drones.

"On the evening of February 25, during the evacuation of 82 Ukrainian troops who had voluntarily laid down their arms on Snake Island, 16 boats belonging to the Ukrainian Navy tried to attack the ships of the Black Sea Fleet by using swarming tactics, " Konashenkov said adding that some of the boats used civilian vessels as shields.

According to the spokesman, the Ukrainian boats attacked to take revenge on those who had surrendered and to shift the blame for the prisoners’ deaths on Russia.

"As a result of the naval battles, 16 boats of the Ukrainian Navy were destroyed. None of the 82 Ukrainian troops from Snake Island were injured," he added.

Konashenkov pointed out that the Ukrainian naval boats could have been guided by US drones.

"I would like to focus your attention that during the attack of Ukrainian boats, US strategic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) Global Hawk and MQ-9A Reaper were hovering over the area of provocation. It is highly likely that the American UAVs were directing the Ukrainian boats against the ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet," Konashenkov said.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories. Its objective is demilitarization and denazification of the country.

When clarifying the unfolding developments, the Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure. There are no threats whatsoever to the civilian population.

Special operation, 24 February. Main:

▪️China has published its proposals to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, consisting of 12 points;

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow appreciates Beijing's desire to contribute to the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine by peaceful means;

▪️Zelensky believes that Beijing's proposals are not a plan, but reflections;

▪️Medvedev said that it is important to push the boundaries of threats to Russia as far as possible, even if these are the borders of Poland;

▪️The United States announced a new package of military supplies to Ukraine for $2 billion, it will include ammunition for HIMARS and drones;

▪️Germany, France and Britain are trying to help Kyiv start peace talks with Moscow, writes the Wall Street Journal;

▪️Leopard tanks from Poland are already in Ukraine, the Polish defense minister said. Warsaw is also ready to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters, the country's prime minister said;

▪️Germany will additionally send four Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense reported;

▪️The head of the British Ministry of Defense said that there will be no deliveries of fighter jets to Kyiv in the near future;

The US plans to provide Ukraine with additional "emergency" energy assistance of up to $250 million, the White House said;

▪️ The World Bank has allocated a new $2.5 billion assistance package to Ukraine.

Special operation, 25 February. Main:

▪️Prigozhin announced the liberation of the Yagodnoye settlement north of Artemovsk;

▪️Kyiv blew up a dam in Artemovsk, trying to prevent the advance of Wagner fighters, a source from the scene told RIA Novosti;

▪️The Russian Armed Forces hit the points of temporary deployment of units of the Ukrainian special operations forces and marines in the Dnipropetrovsk region, the RF Ministry of Defense reported;

▪️In the Donetsk direction, Ukrainian forces lost more than 120 military personnel in a day, in the Kupyansky and Krasnolimansky directions - about 240 military personnel;

▪️The RF Armed Forces attacked Ukrainian units in the South-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, during the day the Ukrainian military lost 90 people, 11 pieces of equipment, as well as 2 ammunition depots;

▪️ Biden ruled out the possibility of transferring American F-16 fighter jets to Ukrainians now;

▪️ He added that the United States leaves Ukraine to decide how to end the conflict with Russia, and also said that Beijing's initiative on Ukraine is beneficial only to Russia;

▪️The EU Council on Saturday approved a new package of sanctions against Russia, the list of those affected by the sanctions will be published later;

▪️ The Russian Foreign Ministry commented on Bern's statement on holding talks on Ukraine: Switzerland has lost its neutral status and cannot provide a platform.

US' Nord Stream Sabotage May Cause Countries to Quit NATO, Says Seymour Hersh

©Sputnik / Grigory Sysoev / Go to the mediabank

Biden's actions regarding the Nord Stream have revealed his real attitude towards Germany and NATO, Hersh suggests.

The United States’ decision to blow up the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines may have a detrimental effect on NATO’s unity, warned investigative journalist Seymour Hersh who earlier this month delivered an exposé on the sabotage.

In an exclusive interview with one Canadian digital media outlet, Hersh argued that Biden “committed a great mistake” by destroying the pipelines that provided Germany with much-needed natural gas.

“He’s told Germany and NATO 'When push comes to shove, I’ll throw you over the wall. You can be cold, I don’t care. If you’re not giving enough money to Ukraine, screw you’,” the journalist said.

He added that “the question now is who’s going to be the first country to leave NATO?”

Hersh also argued that Biden is “lying now to push us into war,” comparing his actions to those of the 36th US President Lyndon B. Johnson who used a bogus attack on US warships in the Gulf of Tonkin as a pretext for entering the Vietnam War in 1964.

Earlier in February, Hersh accused the United States’ leadership of orchestrating the destruction of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines in late September 2022.

Citing sources familiar with the planning of this operation, Hersh claimed that US Navy divers planted explosive charges on the pipelines during summer 2022 under the cover of a NATO military exercise in the Baltic Sea. The explosives were then reportedly detonated remotely three months later so as to avoid casting suspicion on the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, Germany now mulls the possibility of using the pipes left over from the Nord Stream 2 construction – currently stored at Germany’s Rugen island – to build a pipeline for transporting liquefied natural gas from a yet-to-be-built LNG terminal, German media has reported.

This situation, however, is complicated by the sanctions imposed by the US and the EU against Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, since the pipes belong to Russian energy giant Gazprom, one of the sanctioned entities.

Energy crisis to cost Germany $1 trillion – Bloomberg

Germany's government will have to allocate more than $1 trillion by 2030 to deal with the risks and challenges that have arisen due to the energy crisis, Bloomberg reported on Sunday, citing its primary research service.

©Getty Images / Bim

The enormous costs are expected to include investments in modernization of the country's power grids and a planned phase-out of its nuclear and coal plants. Berlin will reportedly face growing demand from electric vehicles and heating systems. Moreover, the German authorities are obliged to meet climate commitments.

The increase in power demand by some 30% from the country’s current consumption will take to about 250 gigawatts the new capacity projected to be installed by 2030, according to data provided by the country’s network regulator and think tank Agora Energiewende, as quoted by Bloomberg.

The planned transition is also expected to require the installation of solar panels covering the equivalent of 43 soccer fields and 1,600 heat pumps every day, according to the news agency’s analysts. On top of this, the nation’s ambitious plan would need to see 27 new onshore and four offshore wind farms built per week.

Earlier this month, Brussels-based think tank Bruegel reported that EU nations had splashed out nearly €800 billion (nearly $846 billion) on support measures as the region continues to reel from climbing energy costs.

According to the analysis, €681 billion was allocated for subsidizing households and businesses to help them in covering soaring electricity costs. Germany reportedly topped Bruegel’s spending chart, having set aside nearly €270 billion, while the next three highest, UK, Italy and France, each spent around €150 billion.

Russian-Chinese-South African Navies Begin Active Phase of Military Drills

The Russian Navy is represented by the "Admiral Gorshkov" frigate carrying hypersonic Zircon missiles and the medium sea tanker "Kama." The Chinese Navy is represented by a frigate and a destroyer, as well as a supply vessel, and the South African Navy, in turn, by a frigate.

©AFP 2023

South African, Chinese and Russian ships taking part in the "Mosi-II" naval maneuvers in the Indian Ocean have set out to sea to start the active phase of the exercises, the South African Ministry of Defense has announced.

According to the statement, the crews of the three countries have started to carry out the operations worked out at the planning stage.

The active phase of the exercises will end on February 27. It includes training on artillery fire, repelling air attacks by a prospective enemy, anti-terrorist actions, technical maneuvers and technical assistance to a ship in distress.

According to a South African defense official, the goal of the maneuvers is to improve coordination and co-operation between the naval fleets of the three participating countries. The "Mosi-II" exercises will serve as a platform for an exchange of military knowledge, know-how and operational experience for the three militaries.

At the start of the drills, Tan Kefei, a spokesman for China's Defense Ministry, said they would enhance "the ability of all parties involved to jointly ensure maritime security."

Putin Says Russia Has to Return to Discussing the Nuclear Potential of the UK and France

©Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Go to the mediabank

Putin recently announced that Russia is suspending its participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, not withdrawing from it.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow has to return to discussing the issue of the nuclear potential of the UK and France, because NATO has shown that it is a military bloc, rather than a political one.

After all, at one time we moved not to take them into account, bearing in mind both détente and the fact that NATO declared itself an almost demilitarized organization. They claimed NATO was a political organization rather than a military bloc. (...) But we see what is happening. Therefore, we are simply forced to return to the discussion of this topic from the center of the field," the president said in an interview with Russian media.

According to him, Russia has to take into consideration not only the nuclear potential of the US but that of all other NATO countries since the alliance views Russia’s strategic defeat as its top goal. On NATO's Participation in New START Discussions He also stressed that Russia does not oppose NATO countries’ participation in the discussion on the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).

"They (NATO) are not formally a party to this treaty; there are two parties to it: Russia and the United States. NATO made a statement on the matter and at the same time it submitted an application for some kind of discussion on the issue. Well, if this is so, we do not mind, let them take part in this discussion," Putin said. The remarks come after Putin announced during his address to the Federal Assembly on Monday that Russia is suspending its participation in the New START, but that it is not withdrawing from the treaty.

The Russian president cited Washington’s efforts to “inflict a strategic defeat” on Moscow and help Ukraine launch drone attacks against Russia’s strategic deterrent while “absurdly” calling for more nuclear inspections.

Under the New START, Moscow and Washington have been required to reduce their nuclear arsenal to a total of 700 missiles, 800 launchers and 1,550 deployed warheads.

On US Military Inspections of Russian Nuclear Facilities

He also said that he could not imagine the US military inspecting Russian nuclear facilities while it continued to support Kiev.

The President recalled that the NATO countries, albeit indirectly, are accomplices in the crimes of the Kiev regime, which, among other things, is shelling residential areas in Donbass. "When they are doing so in Ukraine, I just can't imagine American servicemen hanging out at our nuclear facilities. It's just ridiculous," Putin said.

On What Russia Should Do After Its Suspension of Participation in New START

When asked what the US should understand from Russia’s suspension of its participation in the New START treaty, Putin underscored that this is not the point.

"Well, it’s up to them what to understand, and what not to understand, we can’t get into their heads. We understand what we need to do. And we need to preserve our country, as well as ensure security and strategic stability," the Russian president stated.

On the West's Plan to Break Up Russia

Separately, Putin warned that if the West's plan to break up Russia is implemented, the Russian people would most likely cease to exist as an ethnos.

"If we follow this path, I think that the fate of many peoples of Russia, and above all, Russian people, can change dramatically. I don’t even know if such an ethnic group as the Russian people can survive in their current form," he said, adding that the Western plan is “written on a piece of paper."

During the Federal Assembly speech, Putin pointed out that “the purpose of this West is to weaken, divide and ultimately destroy our country.”

Referring to the collapse of the USSR in December 1991, the Russian president said that those in the West "are already directly saying that in 1991 they could split the Soviet Union, and that now the time has come for Russia itself, which should be split into many regions that should be deadly hostile to each other."

On the Fight for Multipolar World

Additionally, Putin expressed hope that the struggle for a multipolar world, where everyone's interests in the international arena are respected, would prevail.

"And in the end, this position — the fight for a multipolar world, for respect for everyone in the international arena, for taking everyone's interests into account — it will prevail, I have no doubt about that," he said.

The Russian authorities have repeatedly called for a multipolar world with many centers of power that would take into account the interests of all nations, condemning the US policy of global hegemony.