Putin: Russia’s military-industrial might makes Ukraine victory 'inevitable'

President Vladimir Putin says Russia's powerful military-industrial complex is ramping up production amid the Ukraine war, and will make victory in war "inevitable."

Speaking at a factory in St Petersburg that makes air defense systems, Putin said overall military equipment output was rising due to Russia's "special operation" in Ukraine.

"In terms of achieving the end result and the victory that is inevitable, there are several things ... It is the unity and cohesion of the Russian and multinational Russian people, the courage and heroism of our fighters ... and of course the work of the military-industrial complex and factories like yours and people like you."

The president said the rise in production was one of the main reasons Russia would prevail in the Western-backed conflict in Ukraine. "Victory is assured, I have no doubt about it."

Earlier, Putin told veterans during a ceremony in the city that Russia was fighting in Ukraine to defend ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers, who are subject to systematic discrimination in Ukraine. "What we're doing today, including with our special operation, is an attempt to stop this war and protect our people who live on these territories," said Putin. "These are our historical territories."

Lavrov accuses EU of ‘losing independence’

Separately, speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the European Union of subordinating itself to NATO with the cooperation agreement signed last week. “The EU has lost its independence,” Lavrov said, assuring that the agreement signed on February 10, which shows a common front to provide military support to Ukraine, “explicitly” states the European bloc is “in a position of subordination” to the Atlantic Alliance. Lavrov called for NATO to remove its “military infrastructure” from Ukraine and other countries close to Russia's borders.

“There can be no talk of negotiations with Zelensky,” Lavrov said, adding the Ukrainian president’s 10-point plan unveiled last November contained "completely absurd initiatives."

MG