Putin calls Ukraine's European ally leaders 'piglets'

Vladimir Putin appears to have dashed hopes for peace after calling Ukraine's European allies piglets and warning that his new Oreshnik missile will be deployed within days. 

The Russian leader accused Western politicians of plotting Russia's downfall and vowed to carry on with the war in Ukraine unless his demands are met. 

In a major speech in Moscow, he said: 'Everyone believed that Russia would be destroyed and collapsed in a short period of time.

'And the European piglets immediately joined in this work of the former American [Biden] administration, hoping to profit from the collapse of our country.

'To regain something that had been lost in previous historical periods and try to take revenge.

'As is now obvious to everyone, all these attempts and all these destructive plans against Russia have completely failed.'

He also said he would deploy the Oreshnik nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile system in Belarus in the next fortnight. From there, Russians claim it could strike London in eight minutes. 

The Russian leader adamantly refused any compromise on his desired land grab in Donbas while also threatening to create such a strong military powerhouse that Europe and its leaders would have to bow to him.

'The objectives of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved,' he told Russian commanders in the speech.

'We would prefer to do this and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy.

'However, if the opposing side and their foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive talks, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means.

'The task of creating and expanding a buffer security zone will also be consistently addressed.'

He predicted years of war as he said the issue in Ukraine was not solvable with the current Western leaders in Europe.

'We are ready to negotiate and resolve all the problems that have arisen in recent years peacefully,' he said, before bizarrely blaming European leaders for continuing the war.

'The US administration has demonstrated such readiness, and we are engaged in dialogue with them. I hope the same will happen in Europe.

'It's unlikely that this will be possible with the current political elites, but in any case, it will be inevitable as we continue to strengthen our position.

'If not with the current politicians, then with the change of the current elites in Europe.' 

Portraying Europe as collapsing, he said: 'Immediately after the collapse of the USSR, we thought we'd quickly become members of the so-called civilised family of European nations. It turns out today that there's no civilisation there. Only complete degradation.'

He spoke as his forces glide bombed residential buildings in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, wounding 26 people, including a child, in a sickening new attack on civilians.

Rescuers were searching for people under the rubble.

He boasted of grabbing '300 settlements have already been liberated, including large cities' - yet he has not invaded any major urban strongholds in the past year and has taken only deserted villages that no one had heard of before the war.

Five days ago, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky humiliated him by visiting Kupyansk, which Putin said he had 'liberated'.

But Putin again threatened the West with nuclear missiles to destroy them.

'The Burevestnik strategic cruise missile with unlimited range and the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle successfully tested,' he boasted.

'Thanks to their [on board] nuclear power plants, these systems will remain unique and one-of-a-kind for a long time to come, ensuring Russia's strategic parity, security, and global position for decades to come.

'We will continue to work on these systems; we will continue to refine, improve, and enhance them, but they are already here.'

Yet Putin claimed he posed no risk to European NATO states.

'This is a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries,' he said.