MOSCOW — A defiant President Vladimir Putin on Monday called the Ukrainian army a “NATO foreign legion,” reflecting his readiness to stand up to the West regardless of rising economic costs.
While the Russian ruble tumbled further on the news of the downgrade, Putin’s spokesman shrugged off the Western threat of more sanctions as “short-sighted.”
The Kremlin’s uncompromising stance is rooted in its desire to prevent Ukraine from ever joining NATO by securing a broad autonomy for the rebellious provinces in the east. To avoid being called a party to the conflict, as Ukraine and the West see it, Russia is pushing the Ukrainian government to speak directly to the rebels.
The latest rebel offensive, which involved the deadly shelling of the city of Mariupol during the weekend, appeared aimed at pressuring Kiev into such talks.
Speaking to students in St. Petersburg, Putin said the Ukrainian leadership was to blame for the upsurge in violence and accused it of using civilians as “cannon fodder” in the conflict.
