Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today (Friday) that the counteroffensive launched by Ukraine to repel Russian forces in the south and east of the country has achieved "no results" despite Western financial and military support. During a televised meeting of the Russian Security Council, Putin stated, "It is now clear that the Western sponsors of the Kyiv regime are disappointed with the results of the alleged counteroffensive that the Kyiv authorities have made noise about in recent months."
He added, "Neither the enormous resources pumped into the Kyiv regime nor the Western supplies of arms, tanks, artillery, armored vehicles, and missiles have helped" Ukraine, asserting that they have achieved "no results so far." He continued, "The entire world sees Western equipment, which was hyped... burning, and on a tactical and technical level, it is even inferior to some Soviet-made weapons."
Putin praised the Russian army for fighting in a "professional" and "heroic" manner, emphasizing that Ukrainian forces have suffered "huge losses" and that their "mobilization capability" is being exhausted.
Putin launched a fierce attack on Poland, a NATO member, following Warsaw's deployment of military reinforcements to its borders with Russia's ally, Belarus, after Belarus welcomed members of the Russian Wagner military group. He asserted that any aggression against Belarus would be considered aggression against Russia, which would respond with "all means" at its disposal.
He warned, "An attack on Belarus would be an attack on the Russian Federation, and we will respond using all means available to us." Putin accused Warsaw of preparing "retributive plans" and desiring to control territory in western Ukraine, a charge that Russian authorities have made multiple times before.
He mentioned reports about plans to use a Polish-Lithuanian unit for operations in western Ukraine to ultimately occupy territories there, stating, "It is known that they also dream of the territories of Belarus."
Today, the official news agency in Warsaw reported that the Security Committee in Warsaw decided on Wednesday to transfer military units to eastern Poland following the arrival of members of the Russian Wagner military group in Belarus.
For his part, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius indicated that Germany and NATO are ready to support Poland in defending the eastern flank of the alliance.
