Putin also said Russia would give its full support to referendums announced for this weekend in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia on joining the Russian Federation. He accused the West of starting a war against Russia in Ukraine in 2014. “In its aggressive anti-Russian policy, the West has crossed all lines,” the Russian president said. He accused the West of planning to destroy Russia and use nuclear blackmail. Putin said he would use “all the means at our disposal” and that those trying to use nuclear blackmail against Russia would find the tables could be turned against them. He said plainly “I’m not bluffing.” Updated at 07.21 BST Important events Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said the country should put its rapid reaction force on alert. He tweeted saying: As Russia’s military mobilization will also take place near our border, (Kaliningrad region), Lithuania’s Rapid Reaction Force is put on high alert to prevent any provocation from Russia. As Russia’s military mobilization will also take place near our border, (Kaliningrad region), Lithuania’s Rapid Reaction Force is put on high alert to prevent any provocation from Russia. — Arvydas Anušauskas (@a_anusauskas) September 21, 2022 The Russian enclave of Kaliningrad sites between Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic coast. The location of Kaliningrad. Reuters reports that European Union member Latvia, which borders Russia, has said it will not offer sanctuary to any Russians fleeing Moscow’s troop mobilization. Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics made the announcement in a tweet on Wednesday, citing security concerns. Updated at 10.16 BST Over the past few weeks, my colleagues Laurence Topham and Luke Harding have produced a three-part video series specifically looking at the life and motivations of Vladimir Putin. Part one looked at Putin’s unlikely rise to the Russian presidency – from KGB agent to Kremlin manipulator – and part two looked at the rise of a “mafia state” under his leadership. Both are worth watching, but especially today, if you haven’t seen it, you might want to dive into part three. This looked specifically at why Putin is so obsessed with Ukraine and chronicled the key historical events leading up to the invasion, from the Euromaidan protests to the annexation of Crimea and Putin’s belief that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people”. Why is Vladimir Putin so obsessed with Ukraine? Updated at 10.18 BST Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, posted on Telegram his response to Vladimir Putin’s words this morning. He writes: The mobilization and nuclear threats announced by Putin will not help the aggressor in his quest to conquer and destroy Ukraine and Ukrainians. The tyrant finally began the procedures that will bury him in his country. And the civilized world must finally understand that evil must be rooted out and not talk about some illusory “peace negotiations”. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has added his voice to the chorus of Western leaders commenting on Vladimir Putin’s earlier announcement of some mobilization and nuclear weapons threats. Reuters reports that Rutte told Dutch broadcaster NOS: The mobilization, calling for referendums in Donetsk, is all a sign of panic. His rhetoric about nuclear weapons is something we’ve heard many times before, and it leaves us cold. It’s all part of the rhetoric we know. I would advise you to remain calm. Updated at 09.44 BST Bridget Brink, the US ambassador to Ukraine, said Russia has shown weakness by announcing the mobilization of its military reserves and holding referendums in Russian-held territories in Ukraine, Reuters reports. “Fake referendums and mobilization are signs of weakness, Russian failure,” Brink tweeted. “The United States will never recognize Russia’s claim to allegedly annexed Ukrainian territory.” Updated at 09.44 BST The Russian proxy authority of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in occupied eastern Ukraine claimed that overnight seven civilians were injured on territory it holds from shelling by Ukrainian forces. The claims have not been independently verified.
UK Defense Secretary: Putin’s partial mobilization ‘an acceptance invasion is failing’
UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace issued a statement in response to Vladimir Putin’s speech this morning. The Conservative minister said: President Putin’s breaking of promises not to mobilize sections of the population and illegally annexing parts of Ukraine are an admission that his invasion is failing. He and his defense minister have sent tens of thousands of their own citizens to their deaths, poorly equipped and poorly led. No amount of threats and propaganda can hide the fact that Ukraine is winning this war, the international community is united, and Russia is becoming a global pariah. Updated at 09.18 BST Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala tweeted: The partial mobilization announced by Vladimir Putin is an attempt to further escalate the war started by Russia in Ukraine and further proof that Russia is the only aggressor. Ukraine needs help and we must continue to do so in our own interest. The partial mobilization announced by B. Putin is an attempt to further escalate the war started by Russia in Ukraine and further proof that Russia is the only aggressor. Ukraine needs help and we must continue to do so in our own interest. — Petr Fiala (@P_Fiala) September 21, 2022 Pjotr Sauer Vladimir Putin’s decision to announce a partial mobilization has sent shock waves across Russia on Wednesday morning. Since the start of the war, the Russian president has sought to shield his population from the grim reality of his war, with the Kremlin keen to cultivate a sense of normalcy on the streets of Moscow and other major cities. Many responded to these efforts, with polls consistently showing that the average Russian quickly turned away from the war. But with the decision to announce partial mobilization and the call-up of 300,000 mostly young Russian men, the war will now enter the home of many families across the country. The partial mobilization will also be seen as a significant admission of the Kremlin’s military failures in Ukraine. For months, the Kremlin vowed that it would not resort to such measures, insisting that a so-called “special military operation” was to be planned. The decision to mobilize will be welcomed by pro-war bloggers and ultra-nationalist figures who have become some of Putin’s fiercest critics in recent weeks following Russia’s rapid retreat from Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Updated at 08.47 BST China’s foreign ministry urged all parties to engage in dialogue and consultation and find a way to address the security concerns of all parties, after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West of what he described as “nuclear blackmail”. Reuters reports that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said China’s position on Ukraine is consistent and clear in regular media briefings. Updated at 08.49 BST Vladimir Putin gave a national address in which he announced the partial mobilization of troops in Russia. He said his forces were facing Western military operations on the front lines in Ukraine and military reserves would be called in as a result. Putin also said Russia would provide its “full support” to referendums on annexation by Russia to be held this weekend by Russian proxies in occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia. Here is a video of the Russian president’s speech: Vladimir Putin announces partial mobilization of Russian troops for Ukraine – video Updated at 08.49 BST The partial troop mobilization ordered by Russia is a further escalation of the conflict in Ukraine to which the German government is considering its response, Germany’s vice chancellor said. Reuters reports that Robert Habeck said it was “another bad and wrong step by Russia, which of course we will discuss and consult politically about how to respond.” Updated at 08.29 BST
Putin on nuclear weapons: “It’s not a bluff”
Here’s what Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier about nuclear weapons: Nuclear blackmail has also been used. We are talking not only about the bombing of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant – encouraged by the West – which threatens to cause a nuclear disaster, but also about statements by senior representatives of NATO countries about the possibility and permissibility of using weapons of mass destruction against Russia. : nuclear weapons. I would like to remind those who make such statements about Russia that our country also has various means of destruction, and in some cases they are more modern than those of NATO countries. When the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we, of course, will use all means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people. This is not a bluff. And those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the weather vane may turn and point in their direction. Updated at 08.29 BST In the UK, Jonathan Reynolds, the opposition Labor Party’s business spokesman, was interviewed by Sky News, where he said the referendums proposed for the weekend in the occupied territories of Ukraine “have no legitimacy”. He said…
