Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, has declared his intention to “finish off” Ukraine, reinforcing his aggressive stance on the ongoing war.
Speaking aboard a newly commissioned Russian nuclear submarine during a visit to an Arctic naval base, Putin addressed the crew, stating:
“Not long ago, I said we’d grind [Ukraine] down—now it looks like we’ll finish them off.”
The Russian leader also took a swipe at the UK, ridiculing its economic position and military strength. His remarks were in response to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of an Anglo-French “reassurance force” to Ukraine following a ceasefire deal.
“[Britain] is jumping on us, behaving aggressively… but their economy is, I think, in the ninth or tenth place in the world,” Putin remarked.
He further downplayed the size of the British military, adding, “And their armed forces—what is it, 170,000 or 180,000? That’s all the armed forces of the UK!”
Despite Putin’s claim, the UK is ranked as the sixth-largest economy globally, while Russia holds the 11th position in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
