- President Vladimir Putin provided an assessment of Moscow’s so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine and the impact on Russia’s economy during his state of the nation address Tuesday.
- Putin accused Ukraine and the West of provoking the conflict with the expansion of NATO and new European anti-rocket defense systems.
- “They started the war, and we used the force in order to stop it,” Putin said according to a translation of the speech in Moscow.
- During the address, Putin also said Russia was suspending its participation in the New START treaty with the U.S. that limits the two sides’ strategic nuclear arsenals.
