Russia's special military operation in Ukraine is a "forced measure" and Moscow was left without other options, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday while assuring the international community that Russia did not intend to "damage" the global economic system.
President Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine early Thursday. The assault began hours before dawn with a series of missile attacks against locations near the capital Kyiv, as well as the use of long-range artillery against the city of Kharkiv, near the Russian border. It quickly spread across central and eastern Ukraine as Russian forces attacked the country from three sides.
Addressing top Russian business leaders here, Putin explained that the security risks for Russia were made so high it was impossible to react with other means, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
“This is the most important thing, it must be clear: the things that are happening are a forced measure,” the Russian leader said as the West, led by the United States condemned Putin's unilateral military actions and threatened to impose more sanctions on Russia.
"They simply left us without options to act differently," Putin was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.
Russia remains part of the global economy, he said.
"Russia remains part of the global economy, and in this respect, to the extent, it remains this part, we do not plan to damage the system, which we feel we belong ourselves,” he said.
"We do not intend to damage the global economic system, which we belong ourselves,” Putin said.
The Russian president also said that his country was prepared for what is happening in terms of sanctions imposed by Western countries.
“Of course, we all — and you too — understand what world we are living in and we prepared, this way or the other, for what is happening now in terms of restrictions and sanctions policy,” he said.
Reacting to the threat of punitive sanctions by Western countries, the press service of Russia’s government said the country has sufficient financial resources for providing the stability of the financial system amid sanctions.
"As of today, Russia has financial resources sufficient for providing the stability of the financial system amid sanctions and external threats,” TASS news agency quoted the report as saying.
Russia’s Finance Ministry and the Central Bank also said they will continue monitoring the situation on the financial markets and will take additional measures to support the financial stability, if necessary.
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