From India to Prigozhin to nuclear warning: Striking points of Vladimir Putin's address

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (Oct 5) touched upon a range of issues, including Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's death, the Ukraine war, Indian leadership, and Canada'sNazi row, as he addressed a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club.

The club is a Moscow-based think tank and discussion forum and was established in 2004. The name of the club is after Lake Valdai, which is close to Veliky Novgorod, - a place where the first meeting of the club took place.

Here are the important points of the address:

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Russia-Ukraine war

Putin said that the Ukrainian economy and military power would last for "only a week" if the foreign aid stopped and also said that Europe is helping Ukraine at the expense of its own economy and people.

He said that Europe had opted to provide monetary aidto Ukraine, and in so doing had worsened its own economic fortunes and also dragged out the conflict.

Putin on nuclear testing

Putin said that there is a possibility that Russia could resume nuclear testing for the first time in more than three decades and might withdraw its ratification of a landmark nuclear test ban treaty.

The Russian leadersaid that no one in the world in their right mind would use nuclear weapons against Russia and that potential enemies knew about Moscow's nuclear arsenal.

In response to a question, Putin said he was not ready to declare whether or not Russia needed to resume nuclear weapons testing, saying that "theoretically we could revoke ratification" of the international nuclear test ban treaty.

Putin mentioned the Burevestnik as he said that Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable cruise missile. He said that the capabilities of the Burevestnik are unmatched.

On Indian leadership

Putin said that the Indian leadership is "self-directed" and led by the country's national interests.

"At a certain point in time, they tried to do the same with India. Now they are flirting, of course. We all understand this very well. We feel and see the situation in Asia. Everything is clear. I want to say that the Indian leadership is self-directed. It is led by the national interests," Putin said.

He also alleged that the West was trying to cast everyone "who is not ready to blindly follow these Western elites as the enemy."

Canadian parliament's Nazi row

Putin called the Canadian parliament's standing ovationto honour a Ukrainian war veteran who served in Nazi Waffen SS units "disgusting". He said that it showed Moscow was right to "denazify" Ukraine.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month formally apologised after the speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, Anthony Rota, praised 98-year-old ex-soldier Yaroslav Hunka in the chamber in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Rota said he had made a mistake and resigned.

Putin on Wagner boss Prigozhin's death

During the address, Putin suggested that the plane crash which killed Wagner's chief in August was caused by hand grenades detonating inside the aircraft.

The private Embraer jet on which Prigozhin was travelling to St Petersburg crashed north of Moscow killing all 10 people on board on Aug 23, including two other top Wagner figures, Prigozhin's four bodyguards and a crew of three.

"Fragments of hand grenades were found in the bodies of those killed in the crash," Putin said.

Watch:How long does Ukraine have to save itself? NATO's weapons reserves dwindle

Putin on Armenia

Armenia did not listen to Russia's recommendations on Nagorno-Karabakh, Putin said around two weeks after an Azerbaijani invasion drove ethnic Armenians who had ruled the region for more than three decades to surrender.

Putin stated that Armenia remained a Russian friend and that Moscow was ready to assist the people of Karabakh, despite the fact that the majority of the ethnic Armenian population had already fled the region.

Putin targets US

Putin also accused the US of directing other countries on how to behave.

In his annual keynote speech at the Valdai Discussion Club, in Sochi, Putin targeted the US and said, "All the time, we hear 'You must', 'You have to', 'We're seriously warning you'. Who are you anyway? What right do you have to warn anyone? Maybe it’s time you yourself got rid of your arrogance and stopped behaving that way towards the world."

(With inputs from agencies)

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