During a meeting with senior military officials, Mr. Sergei Shoigu discussed, among other things, the “indirect war” waged by the West against Russia, “by providing unprecedented support to the puppet regime in Kiev.”
The threats from Western countries at Russia’s borders “require a swift and appropriate response,” said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday, citing among them the support for Ukraine and the membership of Stockholm and Helsinki in NATO. During a meeting with high-ranking military officials, Mr. Shoigu detailed at length the “threats to Russia’s military security,” which he said “have multiplied in the western and northwestern directions” in recent years.
“These threats (…) demand a quick and adequate response. We will discuss the necessary measures to neutralize them at the meeting and make the appropriate decisions,” he continued in his speech. Among the threats mentioned by Sergei Shoigu, the first is the “indirect war” waged by the West against Russia, “by providing unprecedented support to the puppet regime in Kiev.”
“The West’s willingness to invest a significant portion of its resources in Ukraine to turn the situation on the battlefield creates serious risks of escalating the conflict,” Sergei Shoigu continued regarding the Russian offensive launched in February 2022. A loyalist of Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu also mentioned Finland’s membership and Sweden’s impending membership in NATO, considering them “a serious destabilizing factor,” especially as they double the length of the land border between the Atlantic Alliance and Russia.
The last risk mentioned by the Russian Defense Minister is “the militarization of Poland, which has become the main instrument of the United States’ anti-Russian policy,” as Warsaw has signed significant arms contracts with Seoul and Washington in recent months. Sergei Shoigu also accused Poland of seeking to reclaim territories in western Ukraine, a recurring but unsupported claim by Russian authorities.
