Vladimir Putin has sharpened his abuse towards the West as President Joe Biden, fresh from a visit to Kyiv, praised Western democracy for standing up to naked Russian aggression.
In a week heavy with events ahead of Friday’s anniversary of Russia’s Ukraine invasion, Mr Putin spoke first.
The West had enabled Nazi Germany, he claimed, and had turned Ukraine into a neo-Nazi regime that was “anti-Russia”.
Hours later Mr Biden said autocrats understood only one word: “No, no, no!”
“Putin thought the world would roll over, he was wrong,” he said, vowing that Nato was more united than ever. Kyiv stood strong, proud, tall and free and Western support for Ukraine would not fail, he added.
Welcoming him to Warsaw’s royal castle, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that by traveling to Kyiv Mr Biden had shown the free world did not fear anything. Nato’s role was to defend and support the free world and Ukraine “must win this war”.
Mr Putin’s speech barely touched on the progress of Russia’s military in Ukraine and there was no indication of how the war might end. The main news involving Russia’s military came from Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who accused the chief of staff and defense minister of trying to destroy his group and starve it of weapons.
