Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday welcomed the fact that “270 thousand Russians voluntarily joined” the army and volunteer units fighting in Ukraine.
“We carried out partial mobilization, and 300 thousand people were called up. Over the past six to seven months, 270 thousand people have voluntarily signed contracts to serve in the Armed Forces and volunteer formations,” Putin said, estimating that between 1,000 and 1,500 people are signing contracts. every day.
The Russian president mentioned the mobilization during a speech at the Eastern Economic Forum, which is taking place in Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East.
On the other hand, Putin said that the supply of F-16 fighters by the West to Kyiv will only “prolong the conflict in Ukraine.”
“They are going to supply F-16 (fighter jets). Will this change anything? I don’t think so. It will only prolong the conflict,” Putin said, referring to support from Ukraine’s allies.
Russia invaded Ukraine for the second time in February last year.
In the same speech, Vladimir Putin also said the West’s seizure of Russian assets “exceeds all limits” but ruled out any government intervention in the national currency.
Putin rejected what he called the state’s “sudden moves” in the foreign exchange market to strengthen the ruble (Russia’s currency), the depreciation of which forced Russia’s central bank to raise interest rates by 12%.
“There will be no sudden movements,” the Head of State said at the Eastern Economic Forum, answering a question about possible government intervention in the foreign exchange market.
Putin also said the issue requires “thorough analysis” by the government and Russia’s central bank, which is due to review interest rates next Friday during a meeting already scheduled.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.