Vladimir Putin Responds to the Ominous Threat Posed by US-Dominated Western Regimes

by Stephen Lendman

On September 23 - 27, Donetsk Lugansk — as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions — will hold referendums on joining Russia.

There's no doubt about the will of their people on this crucial issue — nor about Russia's intent to support their passion to be part of the Motherland.

Addressing the nation on Wednesday, Vladimir Putin pulled no punches in setting the record straight about longstanding diabolical US-dominated Western intentions toward Russia, saying:

The collective West aims "to weaken, divide and ultimately destroy our country."

Their ruling regimes long ago "sa(id) that in 1991, they were able to split the Soviet Union, and now the time has come for Russia itself…that it should disintegrate into many mortally warring regions."

That's what their forever war-making by hot and other means is all about.

As directed by hegemon USA, they "striv(e) with all their might to maintain dominance."

"(F)or this purpose, they are trying to block or suppress any sovereign independent centers of development to further brutally impose their will on other countries…to plant their fake values."

They "crossed every line in (their) aggressive anti-Russia policy."

"We constantly hear threats against our country and our people."

They "talk about plans to organize the supply of long-range offensive weapons to (Nazi-infested) Ukraine, systems capable of launching strikes against Crimea and other regions of Russia."

"In real time, NATO conducts reconnaissance throughout Russia's southern areas, using modern systems, aircraft, ships, satellites, and strategic drones."

"The Kiev occupation regime created a deeply echeloned line of longterm fortifications."

"Directly assaulting them would have resulted in heavy losses, which is why our units, as well as those of the Donbass republics, act competently and use the military in order to protect personnel."

"They, step by step, are liberating Donetsk land, clearing cities and towns from neo-Nazis, and helping people whom the Kiev regime turned into hostages and human shields."

As ordered and directed by its US master, Nazified Kiev pursues a "policy of intimidation, terror and violence," barbarism by any standard.

The vast majority of people in areas liberated from the scourge of Nazified tyranny "want (no part of living) under (its) yoke" ever again.

"In Zaporozhye, the Kherson region, as well as Lugansk and Donetsk, people have seen atrocities that neo-Nazis conduct(ed) in occupied areas of the Kharkov region."

"The heirs of Bandera and Nazi punishers kill people, torture, throw them in prison, settle scores, crack down," and pursue other abusive actions against civilians yearning to breathe free from the scourge of US/Western-supported Nazism.

Residents of Donetsk, Lugansk and other liberated areas "are subjected to constant artillery and rocket fire from neo-Nazi militants."

With intent to cause maximum numbers of casualties, "hospitals…schools," residential areas and other civilian targets are subjected to repeated "terrorist attacks." 

"We have no moral right to hand over people close to us to be torn to pieces by executioners, and we cannot but respond to their sincere desire to determine their own fate."

The collective West is also pursuing nuclear blackmail.

"This involves not only West(ern) encouraged bombardments of the Zaporozhye NPP, which may trigger a nuclear disaster, but also the pronouncements by representatives of leading NATO countries about the possibility and the admissibility of using weapons of mass destruction against Russia."

To protect Russia against existential threats posed by hegemon USA and its Western vassals, Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization during his Wednesday address to the nation.

Around 300,000 reservists with military experience will be activated for further training. And all military personnel will remain on active duty for an indefinite period.

Donbass freedom fighters will be afforded the same status and rights as their Russian counterparts.

Putin also stressed that after hegemon USA ordered the Kiev regime to reject conflict resolution in favor of perpetual war-making, "it became absolutely clear that a new large-scale offensive on Donbass…was inevitable."

"After that, an attack on the Russian (Republic of) Crimea would have followed."

"We will support the decision on their future that a majority of the residents of Donetsk…Lugansk (as well as) the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions will make" by their Sept. 23 - 27 referendums.

"Russian citizens must be confident (that) the territorial integrity of our Motherland, our independence and freedom will be ensured."

"Let me stress it again. This will be ensured by all of our available means."

This is not a bluff, Putin stressed. The stakes are too great to ignore.

His September 21 address to the nation was a likely game-changing moment, what's been planned and coming for some time.

Russia's lower house State Duma already passed legislation to support the will of Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye residents to join Russia.

Approval by Russia's upper house Federation Counsel and Kremlin authorities will surely follow.

Once formally included as part of the Motherland, cross-border strikes on their territory will be acts of war against the Russian Federation.

If Pentagon, CIA and their Western counterparts on the ground in Ukraine continue orchestrating, directing and controlling the regime's cross-border aggression, they'll be legitimate targets for Russia to strike in self-defense.

These are indeed unparalleled perilous times, the risk of hegemon USA-dominated NATO crossing the line to unmasked direct confrontation with Russia is ominously real — the heightened risk of potential nuclear war launched by lunatics in charge of the Washington asylum.

If occurs, Russia will do whatever it takes to defend its territory.

Kremlin officials earlier said the following:

Russia will only use nukes to defend against an "existential" threat to the nation and its people — according to its concept of domestic security.

In early September, Russia's Security Council Deputy Director, Dmitry Medvedev, said the following:

After the Soviet Union's 1991 dissolution, the Russian Federation preserved "the entire strategic nuclear arsenal at a very high level."

Greatly upgraded over the past 30 years, it's "the best guarantee of preserving" and protecting the Motherland against the threat of US/Western aggression.

During his Wednesday address to the nation, Putin left no doubt that hostile US/Western actions pose the most serious threat to the nation since Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa on June 22, 1941.

Responsible Kremlin leadership's only option is doing whatever it takes to protect the nation and its people from the scourge of diabolical US/Western intentions to partition and control Russia in similar fashion to how their ruling regimes raped and destroyed the former Yugoslavia.

On Wednesday, Putin drew a line in the sand, making it clear that Russia will respond to this threat.

The Motherland will be protected by whatever means are necessary to preserve its national security against the menace posed by the US/West.

Will their ruling regimes heed the warning and back off to avoid the risk of catastrophic nuclear war?

Will hegemon USA's perpetual war policy on invented enemies shift to prioritizing peace, stability, cooperative relations with other nations and strict compliance with international law?

Will the sun henceforth rise in the west and set in the east?

The risk of US-dominated Western regimes crossing the line to direct confrontation with Russia — by accident or design — appears more ominously real than any previous time throughout the post-WW II period.