[Putin: Newly Incorporated Territories Were Exploited by Ukraine for Resources]
On April 21st, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during a meeting with heads of municipal authorities from various federal subjects of Russia, "You say that nothing happened and no accumulation took place there since the 1960s. Now we clearly understand this. The only thing they did was to extract resources and wealth from these regions and people, pardon my straightforward wording. They seized the money and it still remains in foreign bank accounts until today."
He added, "That is why they have such intentions to cooperate and please their sponsors in every possible way. They are not fighting for the benefit of the people; they are fighting for their own capital, which they stole from the Ukrainian people and transferred abroad. That's all. They rely on this money to live, and even if they want to give up something, they will never allow themselves to do so because it involves billions of funds. But they continue stealing until now."
Putin emphasized that even Western-provided weapons have appeared on the international black market. "These weapons either end up in Africa or other places, such as the Middle East. They continue stealing until now."
Putin pointed out, "The corruption in Ukraine is well-known." "However, under the current circumstances, we need to think about fulfilling our responsibilities to the people, especially those who support and return to historical native lands—Russia. Of course, we should also repay them in the same manner, support them, and address the problems accumulated in these regions over decades."
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830065101149196/
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