Vladimir Putin: “Only the first, but a highly significant step in Russia seizing the rest of the Donbas”

Your choice and determination will show once again that millions of people are backing our fighters and that we stand together.

We must realize that the moment when nothing can be changed any longer may come very quickly and unexpectedly for everyone. The logic of escalating, increasingly harsh retaliatory measures leads to a fatal point of no return.

Such a high, even record, number of people who came out and voted shows that the people of Russia support our efforts aimed at strengthening the country.

If it comes to a direct attack on the Russian Federation – in this case, we are referring to Kaliningrad, and perhaps other territories as well — the question of the Russian Federation deploying all the weapons at our country’s disposal…