Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hailed the annexation of Ukrainian territories as a major achievement and said his country’s nuclear weapons serve as a tool of deterrence in the war that the Kremlin calls a “special military operation.”
Speaking with members of the presidential Human Rights Council, Putin described the land gains as “a significant result for Russia,” noting that the “Sea of Azov has become Russia’s internal sea.” He added that “Peter the Great fought to get access to the Sea of Azov.”
