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- Vladimir Putin accused West of raging the war
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday suspended Moscow鈥檚 participation in a nuclear arms reduction treaty with Washington during a speech in which he accused the West of escalating the Ukraine conflict.
In his scathing state of the nation address to Russian lawmakers, Putin also vowed that Russia would keep fighting in Ukraine ahead of the first anniversary of the military campaign.
Accusing Western powers of wanting 鈥渢o be done with us once and for all,鈥� he said Russia was 鈥渇orced鈥� to suspend the New START treaty but would not pull out of the agreement altogether.
The 2010 treaty is the last major US-Russia arms control pact still in force but it has frayed in recent years, with accusations from Washington that Moscow was not complying with it.
Putin was speaking a day after US President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv in which he promised additional arms deliveries for Ukraine, and ahead of a speech by Biden in Warsaw.
Referring to the conflict in Ukraine, Putin said: 鈥渟tep by step, we will carefully and systematically solve the aims that face us.鈥�
He said it was 鈥渋mpossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield.鈥�
鈥淭he responsibility for fueling the Ukrainian conflict, for its escalation, for the number of victims... lies completely with Western elites,鈥� Putin said.
A top US official described as an 鈥渁bsurdity鈥� Putin鈥檚 accusations that Russia had been threatened by the West as justification for sending troops into Ukraine.
鈥淣obody is attacking Russia. There鈥檚 a kind of absurdity in the notion that Russia was under some form of military threat from Ukraine or anyone else,鈥� White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters in Warsaw.
Putin also issued a warning to critics within Russia, saying: 鈥淭hose who have embarked on the path of betrayal of Russia must be held accountable under the law.鈥�
Turning to the economy, Putin said sanctions against Russia had not succeeded and were in fact hurting the West by raising energy prices.
鈥淭hey have not succeeded and will not succeed,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he Russian economy has proved much more resilient than the West expected.鈥�
Russian official data on Monday showed the economy contracted by 2.1 percent last year despite sanctions 鈥� far less than had been expected.
Biden is due to deliver his own speech at around 1630 GMT after talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who has been a key advocate for Ukraine within the EU and NATO.
From Warsaw鈥檚 historic Royal Castle, Biden will 鈥渕ake it clear that the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine... for as long as it takes,鈥� according to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who spoke to reporters last week.
He will also speak by telephone with the leaders of Britain, France and Italy, the White House has said. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due in Washington on March 3.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l hear messages in the president鈥檚 speech that will certainly resonate with the American people, certainly will resonate with our allies and partners, without question resonate with the Polish people,鈥� Kirby said of the Warsaw address.
鈥淚 would suspect that you鈥檒l hear him messaging Mr.Putin as well, as well as the Russian people.鈥�
At his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, Biden pledged 鈥渦nwavering鈥� US support and some $500 million in ammunition and artillery supplies.
The visit came ahead of the February 24 anniversary of when Putin gave the order for Russian troops to enter Ukraine.
鈥淥ne year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands,鈥� Biden said at the Mariinsky Palace, the Ukrainian president鈥檚 official residence.
When the Kremlin launched the offensive in Ukraine, its so-called 鈥渟pecial military operation鈥� was planned to be a rapid conquest leading to capitulation and the installation of a pro-Russian regime.
鈥淧utin thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided,鈥� Biden said Monday. 鈥淗e thought he could outlast us.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 just been plain wrong,鈥� he added.
On Tuesday, China said it was 鈥渄eeply concerned鈥� about the conflict, which it said was 鈥渋ntensifying and even getting out of control.鈥�
Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Beijing would 鈥渦rge the countries concerned to stop adding fuel to the fire as soon as possible, to stop shifting the blame to China,鈥� following US claims that Beijing may be considering sending arms to Moscow.
China has sought to position itself as a neutral party, while maintaining close ties with its strategic ally Russia.
China鈥檚 top diplomat, Wang Yi, is due in Moscow on Tuesday for talks, in his final stop of a European tour.
The Kremlin has said Wang may meet Putin during his visit, according to the state TASS news agency.
According to the latest estimates from Norway, the conflict has wounded or killed 180,000 Russian soldiers and 100,000 Ukrainian troops.
Other Western sources estimate the conflict has caused 150,000 casualties on each side.