Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested potential reasons behind his war with Ukraine.
Yesterday, 9 June, Putin spoke to young entrepreneurs and drew parallels between himself and Russian monarch Peter the Great, who led a war against Sweden in the 18th Century.
The news comes as the war in Ukraine enters its 107th day.
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Speaking of the tsar, whose 350th birthday was marked with an exhibition in Moscow, Putin said, in a translation reported by Al Jazeera: "You get the impression that by fighting Sweden [Peter the Great] was grabbing something. He wasn’t taking anything, he was taking it back."
He went on to say that when the tsar declared St Petersburg the Russian capital, 'none of the countries in Europe recognised this territory as belonging to Russia'.
"Everyone considered it to be part of Sweden. But from time immemorial, Slavs had lived there alongside Finno-Ugric peoples."
He went on to say in a supposed reference to his current invasion of Ukraine: "It is our responsibility also to take back and strengthen.
"Yes, there have been times in our country’s history when we have been forced to retreat, but only to regain our strength and move forward."
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The comments come as Ukrainian forces have regained parts of their country occupied by Russian soldiers.
Western countries continue to offer support in the form of sanctions and packages to Ukraine, with US President Joe Biden planning to send advanced long-range rocket systems to Ukraine.
He spoke of his plans in an op-ed for The New York Times, which was published at the end of May.
"That’s why I’ve decided that we will provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine," Biden said.
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Putin responded to the potential plan and, according to Russian news agency Tass, said: "If it now comes to rockets and they are supplied, we will draw conclusions from that and employ our weapons that we have in sufficient quantities to strike those facilities that we are not attacking so far."
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He went on to say that the US is 'stretching out the armed conflict as long as possible' by causing a 'fuss over additional deliveries of armaments'.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Topics: Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, News
