Vladimir Putin accused the West of testing Russia's resilience and repeated the false claim that Ukrainian forces are retreating across the front during a speech at the ruling United Russia party congress, according to Russian state media on June 28.
Putin described the current period as “decisive” for Russia and accused the West of trying to weaken the country, claiming it had failed to defeat Russia militarily.
The Russian leader said “Russia cannot be defeated on the battlefield” and claimed the West was now “testing its resilience” and seeking to eliminate it because Russia had “always stood in the way of evil.”
He also repeated the unsubstantiated claim that Ukraine, “retreating along the entire front line,” had turned to what he described as “terrorist strikes” against Russia.
Putin also said elections to the State Duma would be held as scheduled in September, adding that the West would try to destabilize Russia’s domestic political situation but “would not succeed.”
At the same time, he acknowledged that Russia was “adjusting some plans based on the situation” and was going through “a difficult period,” while insisting that the country’s strategic objectives “will be fully achieved.”
Declining support for Putin
On June 26, The New York Times, citing a June 19-21 survey by Russia’s state-aligned Public Opinion Foundation (FOM), reported that Putin’s approval rating had fallen to its lowest level since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
...
The family of a Milwaukee immigrant who was falsely accused of threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump is filing a legal claim against the federal government for $5.5 million in damages. ...