Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today, Tuesday, that he wants Russian brands to become more distinctive, after more than 18 months since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which caused foreign retail stores and other companies to flee Russia. He pointed out that "the Ukrainian counter-offensive has not yielded results, and Ukraine is suffering heavy losses in lives." He stated, "I have the impression that once Ukraine's resources are exhausted, they may want to start peace talks."
He revealed that "we are working on creating a weapon based on new physical principles that will be able to ensure the security of any country," indicating that "the use of depleted uranium in munitions is a crime." Hundreds of foreign retail stores closed their doors in response to Russia deploying troops in Ukraine in February 2022, leaving some of Moscow's most prestigious streets filled with boarded-up shops, resulting in estimated losses of approximately $2.5 billion for the sector.
Regarding the 2024 presidential elections, Putin said: "When parliament announces the election call, we will talk about it." He noted that "there will be no change in U.S. policy towards Russia if Trump wins the presidential elections," and added: "The West is trying to deter China, but it will fail." Concerning the possibility of mobilization in Russia, Putin stated: "1,000 to 1,500 are joining the service every day by signing volunteer contracts." He added that over the past six or seven months, 270,000 have signed volunteer contracts.
