Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine nearly one year after Russia's invasion
NBCMAY 2023
Day 363: Putin Blasts West and Withdraws from Nuclear Treaty in Major Address
Image copyright: Wikimedia Commons
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Despite using it to try to defend his unprovoked war of aggression, Putin's address repeated a litany of disproven grievances against the US and NATO while failing to take any responsibility for his illegal actions in Ukraine. The speech has not helped his case on the international stage.
Pro-Russia narrative
As Putin rightly highlighted, Russia tried to engage the US and NATO on security guarantees before the conflict started — the efforts were ignored and followed by a further buildup of NATO presence on Russia's borders. The blame for this conflict lies with the West for flagrantly posing an unacceptable security risk that prompted a defensive military operation.