Putin mobilizes more troops for the Ukraine war, threatens nuclear retaliation and backs the annexation of Russian-occupied land
In a rare public address, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the partial mobilization of his country’s military on Wednesday, mobilizing military reservists following a series of defeats.
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the partial mobilization of his country’s military on Wednesday, mobilizing reservists in a dramatic escalation of his conflict in Ukraine following battlefield defeats that put the Kremlin under increasing pressure to act.
In a rare national address, Putin endorsed plans for Russia to annex seized territories of southern and eastern Ukraine, threatening nuclear retribution if Kyiv continued its efforts to recapture those land.
It occurred only a day after four Russian-controlled territories declared that they would hold referendums this week on seceding from Ukraine and joining Russia, in a proposal that Kyiv and its Western allies condemned as a desperate “sham” designed to dissuade a successful counteroffensive by Ukrainian soldiers.
Putin said that Russia will use all available means to defend what it deems its territory, accusing the West of nuclear blackmail and warning, “This is not a bluff.”
Following Putin, military minister Sergei Shoigu announced that an initial 300,000 reservists would be called up.
According to Shoigu, only individuals with appropriate combat and service experience will be mobilized. Another provision in the directive, which went into force immediately, prohibits most professional troops from cancelling their contracts and leaving duty until the partial mobilization is lifted.
Bridget Brink, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said in response: “Sham referenda and mobilization are signs of weakness, of Russian failure.”
“The United States will never recognize Russia’s claim to purportedly annexed Ukrainian territory, and we will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” she said.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace described Putin’s mobilization announcement as “an admission that his invasion is failing.”
“He and his defence minister have sent tens of thousands of their citizens to their deaths, ill-equipped and badly led,” Wallace said in a statement. “No threats and propaganda can hide the fact that Ukraine is winning this war, the international community are united, and Russia is becoming a global pariah.”
Since starting his full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Putin has rebuffed demands for widespread mobilization from nationalist fans and pro-military bloggers.
On Wednesday, Putin refrained from taking that move, which might have considerably bolstered his flagging troops but would have taken the time and could have proven unpopular with a population that the Kremlin has attempted to shield from the repercussions of the conflict.
It remains to be seen if the partial mobilization would alleviate his anxieties.
