Russian President Vladimir Putin compared his policy to that of Tsar Peter the Great when he fought against Sweden, invading part of its territory, as well as Finland, parts of Estonia and Latvia.
“We have just visited an exhibition dedicated to the 350th birthday of Peter the Great. It’s amazing, but almost nothing has changed. (…) Peter the Great fought in the Great Northern War for 21 years. We have the impression that, fighting against Sweden, he was taking something. I didn’t take anything, I recovered“Putin said, at a meeting with young businessmen in Moscow.
“When he founded a new capital (St. Petersburg), none of the countries of Europe recognized that territory as belonging to Russia.. Everyone considered it part of Sweden. But from time immemorial, the Slavs lived there alongside the Finnish-Hungarian peoples. (…) He recovered and developed, ”he continued.
Then, appearing to refer to the Russian offensive in Ukraine, the Russian president added: “Apparently, it is also up to us to recover and develop”.
“Yes, there were times in the history of our country when we were forced to go back, but only to gather strength and move forward,” he added.
Sweden’s defeat in the Great Northern War (1700-1721) made Russia the greatest power in the Baltic Sea and a major player in European affairs. In Russia today marks the 350th anniversary of Peter I, who reigned first as Tsar and then Emperor from 1682 until his death in 1725, and worked to bring the empire closer to Europe, an echo of the past that resonates three centuries later, in the midst of a break between Moscow and the West over the war in Ukraine.
The military offensive launched in the early hours of February 24 by Russia in Ukraine has already caused more than 15 million people to flee their homes – more than eight million internally displaced persons and more than 7.2 million to neighboring countries -, according to the latest UN report. data, which place this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since the Second World War (1939-1945).
Also according to the United Nations, about 15 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.
The Russian invasion —justified by Putin with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security— was condemned by the generality of the international community, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia that reach practically all sectors, from banking to sports.
The UN confirmed that 4,302 civilians were killed and 5,217 wounded in the war, which has entered its 106th day, stressing that the true figures could be much higher and will only be known when there is access to besieged areas or areas under heavy fighting.
Source: Observadora
