Putin’s speech to the people on June 26, 2023
President Putin gave a speech last night, which was short and important.
René Zittlau
Introduction
Yesterday evening (June 26, 2023) President Putin gave an important speech in the evening. We publish the text of this speech in German.
In the next few days there will follow an article entitled “Putin’s speech to the people on June 26, 2023 – The mutiny – Prigoshin’s struggle for the sovereignty of interpretation”, where I will contrast and analyze Prigoshin’s statements with President Putin’s speeches.
The speech
Today I once again address all citizens of Russia. I thank you for your steadfastness, unity and patriotism. This civic solidarity has shown that any blackmail, any attempt to create internal turmoil* is doomed to failure.
I repeat, there was the highest consolidation of society, executive and legislative at all levels. Public organizations, religious denominations, leading political parties and practically the entire Russian society took a firm and unequivocal position of support for the constitutional order. All were united and unified by the main thing – responsibility for the fate of the Fatherland.
I would like to emphasize that from the very beginning of the events all necessary decisions were immediately taken to neutralize the threat, to protect the constitutional order, life and safety of our citizens.
An armed uprising would have been put down in any case. The organizers of the uprising, despite their shortcomings, could not overlook this. They understood everything, including the fact that they resorted to criminal acts to divide and weaken the country, which is now facing an enormous external threat, unprecedented external pressure. On the front lines with the words “Not one step back!” our comrades are dying.
But the organizers of the mutiny betrayed their country, their people, and in doing so they betrayed those whom they dragged into the crime. They lied to them, they drove them to death, under fire, to shoot their own people.
This was the result – fratricide – that Russia’s enemies wanted: the neo-Nazis in Kiev, their Western patrons and all kinds of traitors to the country. They wanted Russian soldiers to kill each other, soldiers and civilians to die so that Russia would lose in the end and our society would split and suffocate in bloody internal strife.
They rubbed their hands and dreamed of taking revenge for their failure at the front and in the so-called counteroffensive, but they miscalculated.
I thank all our soldiers, law enforcement officers and special services who stood in the way of the insurgents and remained true to their duty, their oath and their nation. The courage and self-sacrifice of the fallen heroic airmen saved Russia from tragic, destructive consequences.
At the same time, we knew and know that the vast majority of the fighters and commanders of the Wagner Group are also patriots of Russia, loyal to their people and the state. They proved this with their courage on the battlefield during the liberation of Donbass and Novorossiya. Attempts were made to use them in the darkness against their brothers in arms, with whom they had fought together for the country and its future.
Therefore, from the very beginning of the events, on my direct instructions, steps were taken to avoid a great bloodshed. It also took time, among other things, to give those who had made a mistake a chance to come to their senses, to understand that their actions were firmly rejected by society and to what tragic, devastating consequences for Russia and for our state the adventure they had allowed themselves to be drawn into would lead.
I thank those soldiers and commanders of the Wagner group who made the only correct decision – they did not choose fratricidal bloodshed, they stopped at the last line.
Today you have the opportunity to continue serving Russia by signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense or other security services, or to return to your relatives. If you want, you can also go to Belarus. My promise will be kept. I repeat, the decision will be made by each of you, but I am sure that it will be the decision of the Russian soldiers who have realized their tragic mistake.
I am grateful to Belarusian President Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko for his efforts and contribution to the peaceful resolution of the situation.
But once again, it was the patriotic spirit of the citizens, the cohesion of the entire Russian society that played a decisive role in those days. This support enabled us to overcome together the most difficult trials for our homeland.
For that, I thank you. Thank you.
*) Note on translation:
In the first paragraph, the reader finds the translation “internal turmoil”. In the original, Putin speaks of “smuta. This term has a very emotional, somber meaning in Russian, which is difficult to translate into English in all its nuances. Vladimir Putin used this description of a time very rarely and precisely only in connection with extremely tragic, traumatizing events in Russian history. It is noteworthy that this word is used quite deliberately by the President in connection with the possible consequences of the recent events described in the speech.
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