MOSCOW — With recession looming, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the West has had his nation in the cross-hairs for “centuries” and outlined measures in response aimed at bolstering Russia’s self-sufficiency.
In an annual state-of-the-nation address, Putin blasted the West and “speculators” who he said are waging an economic war against Russia. He also made no concessions to Western sanctions, saying instead that they were a spur to bring offshore money home and to invest in Russian industry.
He gave no indication that he would back down from Russian policy toward Ukraine, where a raging conflict has resulted in more than 4,300 deaths. Hours later, Secretary of State John Kerry blamed Russia for bringing on sanctions for its “own actions” in Ukraine.
Putin outlined the conflict between Russia and the West in terms of civilization, giving little indication that relations would improve anytime soon. He said Russia’s annexation in March of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, which kicked off the worst stretch of relations between the West and Russia since the Cold War, was a “historic event” that would not be reversed.
Crimea “is of huge civilizational importance to Russia, just like the Temple Mount is to Judaism,” Putin said, asserting that foundational events in Russian history took place on the Black Sea peninsula.
But he left the door open to Russian economic cooperation with the West, saying that “Russia will be open to the world,” even if it makes moves to improve its own self-sufficiency.
