Putin: Russian Troops Killing Ukrainian Kids Are Heroes

Even as the Kremlin on Wednesday touted a “possible compromise” in peace talks with Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin went on the record to claim Russian soldiers waging war against Ukrainian civilians, including children, are displaying “courage and heroism.” In a speech that sounded both disconnected from reality and paranoid, the Russian leader accused the West of a plot to cancel “Russia” and insisted the country would not be hurt by U.S. sanctions. He said Russia’s “special operation” in Ukraine—in which countless civilians have been killed by Russian troops firing at residential buildings—was going “strictly according to plan.” “All the goals of the special operation will unconditionally be met,” he said in a video address aired by Russian media. Sanctions against Russia will only bolster Russian businesses, he said, telling citizens not to believe the West’s claim that Russian citizens are struggling because of “acts of hostility” by Moscow. The sanctions, he claimed, are part of a conspiracy to divide Russian society and hold back a “strong and contemporary Russia.” “It’s apparent that organizing an economic blitzkrieg against Russia and demoralizing our society, taking us by force, didn’t work,” he said. He went on to announce a series of economic measures aimed at countering the effects of sanctions, including an increase in social assistance, pensions, and the minimum wage.