Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a giant flag-waving rally at a stadium in Moscow on Friday and praised his army fighting in Ukraine.
The coverage of his speech on state television was unexpectedly interrupted by the Kremlin saying it was a technical problem with the server.
On the stage in the center of Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Putin promised to tens of thousands of people waving the Russian flag and chanting “Russia, Russia, Russia” that all the purposes of the Kremlin would be achieved. ..
“We know what we need to do, how we do it, and what it costs, and we will definitely achieve all our plans.” Putin, 69, told the rally from a stage adorned with slogans such as “For a World Without Nazism” and “For Our President.”
Many of the Russian slogans used at the rally incorporated the “Z” symbol used by the Russian army as a motif in Ukraine. One read “The Putina” — “for Putin.”
Moscow police said more than 200,000 people were in and around Luzhniki Stadium.
Putin, wearing a turtleneck and coat, said soldiers fighting in what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine showed Russia’s unity.
“She shoulders, they help each other, support each other, and when needed, they protect each other from bullets with their bodies like brothers. Such as we haven’t had for a long time. “Unity,” Putin said.
While he was speaking, state television temporarily cut off his speech in the middle of the sentence, showing previously recorded footage of the patriotic song, but he later returned to state television. ..
The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a technical failure in the server was the reason why state television was suddenly disconnected from Putin, a RIA news agency said.
It wasn’t immediately clear why the server problem led to such a sudden and unusual interruption.
The Moscow rally came when Russian troops continued to set deadly fires on Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, and bombarded an aircraft repair facility on the outskirts of Lviv near the Polish border.
President Putin said operations in Ukraine were necessary because the United States was using the country to threaten Russia and Russia needed to protect itself from the “genocide” of Russian-speaking people by Ukraine. I am.
Ukraine is fighting for its existence and says Putin’s genocide claim is nonsense. The West says it is fiction that claims to tear Russia apart.
Before Putin spoke, the Russian national anthem was “made in the Soviet Union” throughout the stadium stands used at the 2018 Soccer World Cup, with the words “Russia is our sacred country”. Soared with more modern pop hits such as.
Putin’s favorite Russian band, Lyube, sang a patriotic song about war, sacrifice, and the honor of those who fight for Russia.
The Pan-Slavist poem by Fyodor Tyutchev was read aloud, warning the Russians that they were always considered slaves to European enlightenment.
Foreign Minister Sergeĭ Viklov loses the illusion that Russia has so far relied on the West, and Moscow accepts a U.S.-dominated world order that acts like a sheriff trying to attract all shots at Saloon Bar. Said he would never.
Putin quoted Russian 18th century Navy commander Fyodor Ushakov.
“He once said that these thunderstorms would bring Russia’s glory,” Putin said. “It was the way it was then, it is the way it is now, and it will always be.”
The rally said when Vladimir Medinsky, who headed Russia’s negotiators in several negotiations with Ukraine, approached an agreement on the issue of Ukraine withdrawing from NATO and adopting a neutral position. Was done in.
“The issue of neutral status and the lack of NATO accession to Ukraine is one of the key issues in the negotiations, which is the issue that both parties have brought their positions as close as possible,” Medinsky said in the Russian media. Said in a statement conveyed by.
He added that the two countries are now “halfway” on the issue of Ukraine’s demilitarization.
In other developments, US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have nearly two hours in a US bid to discourage the Chinese administration from providing military or financial support to Russia’s invasion. talked.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
follow