“When it comes to Bhutto, it’s exactly the same fake as in Syria,” Putin said, referring to Russian allegations from 2018 that the use of chemical weapons in the war in Syria was orchestrated by foreign agents. Bucha was “a psychological operation organized by the British,” Lukashenko added. Following the partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Bukha, a city outside Kyiv, earlier this month, authorities discovered streets filled with civilians apparently tied up and shot at close range, as well as mass graves of locals. Russia has repeatedly denied responsibility, but many media outlets have independently shown that it was unlikely the scenes were made by Ukraine. The Russian president was on a joint visit with the Prime Minister of Belarus at the Vostochny spaceport in the Far East of Russia to celebrate “Space Day” and to discuss the two countries’ space industries. “What is happening in Ukraine is a tragedy; but they have left us no choice,” Putin said, adding that Russia’s military objectives were “absolutely clear and noble.” He also accused the United States of using Washington as a “proxy force” and said it was “ready to go to war with Russia to the last Ukrainian” – while reiterating that it was “impossible” to isolate Russia because of its size. Russia’s economy – which has been hit by sanctions, inflation and capital flight since its invasion of Ukraine – is set to shrink by more than 10% this year, the biggest drop in GDP in more than two decades. Putin also told reporters that talks with Ukraine had reached a “dead end” due to “inconsistencies in fundamental issues” and suggested that talks with Belarus might take place in the future.
