As his forces battle in Ukraine and his economic system strains beneath sanctions, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia struck a defiant tone on Wednesday, arguing that the West had failed in its “financial, monetary and technological aggression” in opposition to Russia and that his nation had solely gained from the worldwide furor over his invasion.
“Now we have not misplaced something and won’t lose something,” Mr. Putin mentioned at an financial convention within the far japanese Russian metropolis of Vladivostok.
Mr. Putin’s assertion was dismissive of the human losses Russia has confronted within the grueling marketing campaign since he launched an invasion in February. His personal Protection Ministry has acknowledged a whole bunch of deaths, though that whole has not been up to date in months. Western estimates are far increased: The US estimated final month that 80,000 Russian troopers had been killed or wounded within the struggle.
Mr. Putin additionally mentioned that he would meet subsequent week with an more and more vital ally, President Xi Jinping of China, because the Russian chief tries to increase financial ties with Asia to counteract the results of Western penalties. And he insisted that the invasion, now in its seventh month, had raised Moscow’s worldwide stature and {that a} crackdown on dissent was cleaning Russia of “dangerous” components, together with journalists who’ve left the nation because the battle started.
“After all, a sure polarization is happening — each on this planet and inside the nation — however I consider that this can solely be helpful,” Mr. Putin mentioned. “As a result of every part that’s pointless, dangerous and every part that forestalls us from shifting ahead might be rejected.”
He additionally reasserted his interpretation of the struggle in Ukraine because the fruits of efforts to subvert an unjust world order led by the US, saying that Western nations have been “striving to take care of a former world order that’s helpful solely to them.”
Mr. Putin’s remarks got here as his forces face an more and more tough state of affairs on the entrance traces in Ukraine, the place they’ve been unable to seize a significant city for greater than two months. Ukraine is mounting a counteroffensive that its officers contend is exhibiting preliminary indicators of success.
“All of our actions intention to assist individuals who reside in Donbas,” Mr. Putin mentioned, referring to the area of japanese Ukraine that his forces have sought to beat, vowing to satisfy this “obligation to the tip.”
The Russian president sought to radiate confidence that the West’s efforts to isolate Moscow have been doomed to fail. Taking part in an onstage panel with the chief of Myanmar and the prime minister of Mongolia, and with the third-highest-ranking member of the Chinese language Communist Occasion, he indicated that Russia might shift its commerce flows towards Asia.
“Irrespective of how a lot somebody needs to isolate Russia, it’s unimaginable to do,” Mr. Putin mentioned. “You simply want to take a look at the map.”
Mr. Putin mentioned that Russia’s forex and monetary markets had been stabilized, inflation had been tamed and unemployment had been saved to “report lows.” But his rosy pronouncements have been tempered by his personal financial policymakers, who say that it’s going to take years for Russia’s economic system to rebound to prewar ranges and that its progress might be hampered so long as Western sanctions are in place. Many analysts additionally predict additional shocks as European nations press forward with plans to sharply cut back purchases of Russian oil by the tip of the 12 months.
Mr. Putin used a part of his speech to query a uncommon instance of cooperation between Russia and Ukraine: a U.N.-brokered deal to permit the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
He accused Western nations of “dishonest” by diverting ships away from the world’s poorest nations, providing no proof for that declare. Mr. Putin mentioned that he would seek the advice of with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey about amending the phrases of the deal to restrict the move of grain to Western states.
U.S. officers referred to as Mr. Putin’s feedback deceptive, saying that vast quantities of grain have been reaching needy nations outdoors of Europe. Final week, a World Meals Program ship carrying 23,300 metric tons of Ukrainian grain arrived in Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa, and a second ship carrying 37,000 metric tons departed for Yemen.
One senior U.S. official mentioned Mr. Putin’s remarks may very well be learn because the Russian chief’s newest effort to drive a wedge between Western nations and growing nations within the world south, doubtlessly to create extra stress for an finish to the combating on phrases favorable to Moscow.
Michael Crowley contributed reporting.