China News Network, September 4 (Reporter Meng Xiangjun) On September 1, local time, Russian President Putin visited Kaliningrad, Russia's "enclave" in Europe, and gave a special open class to local students.
Combined with the current situation, it can be said that this lesson is not simple!
["My jaw dropped"]
The students who listened to Putin's "lectures" were all winners of the Olympic competitions in the fields of culture, art, science, and sports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In class, Putin told a small audience that he had just spoken to Russian Education Minister Kravtsov before his trip and learned that Ukrainian schoolchildren did not know that Ukraine and Russia had been part of the Soviet Union, nor did they know that the Crimean Bridge existed.
"My jaw dropped," Putin exclaimed, "they didn't even know that that's how they were taught." ”
Putin refers to the Crimea Bridge, which was built between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula after Crimea was incorporated into Russia by referendum in 2014.
Infographic: Kerch Highway Railway Bridge.
With a total length of 19 kilometers, the bridge is currently the longest bridge not only in the country but also in Europe, costing $7 billion and is one of Russia's landmark construction projects.
Just look at the importance of the crimean peninsula's strategic significance, just look at the energy Putin has put in.
In 2015, a concert was held in Moscow to celebrate the first anniversary of Crimea's entry into Russia, and Putin appeared to sing.
In 2016, Putin inspected the area near the Kerch Strait by helicopter and talked with Russian officials about the construction of the Crimean Bridge.
In 2018, the highway part of the bridge was opened to traffic, and Putin personally drove the truck and led a convoy of 30 trucks through the bridge to celebrate.
No wonder Putin was surprised by the fact that Mr. Putin saw Crimea as very different from what Ukrainian students thought.
In the class, Putin also elaborated on the goal of the Russian military to carry out "special military operations" in Ukraine. He pointed out that no one stood in the shoes of the people of Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea and wondered how the ukrainian regime had "waged war" on these regions after the change of power in Ukraine in 2014. And this "war" has been going on for eight years.
Putin believes that "an anti-Russian enclave is forming inside Ukraine" and poses a threat to Russia. Therefore, the goal and mission of the Russian army and the Donbass militia is to end the "war" and protect the Donbass as well as Russia itself.
[Putin's "International Relations Classroom"]
This visit is the first time that Putin has appeared on the Baltic Sea coast since the Russian-Ukrainian conflict lasted more than half a year. The place he visited, Kaliningrad, is regarded as a "sharp knife" inserted into Europe, and although the place is small, it has a very high status.
At the end of July, Putin approved the publication of a new version of Russia's maritime doctrine, which includes the development of the Baltic Fleet, one of Russia's four major fleets, and the protection of Russia's national interests in the Baltic Sea. It emphasizes the accessibility of Kaliningrad and proposes to give priority to the development of marine traffic and the construction of competitive ships in Kaliningrad Oblast, St. Petersburg and other places.
Data picture: Russian Baltic Fleet warships conduct anti-ship rocket launch demonstrations. Photo by Wu Haoyu, a reporter of China News Service
By occupying Kaliningrad, Russia would be able to deploy the Baltic Fleet, as well as MiG-31 fighters carrying dagger hypersonic missiles, to two NATO member states, Poland and Lithuania. At present, these fighters are on all-weather combat duty.
The Associated Press believes the Kremlin is methodically strengthening its military presence in Kaliningrad, turning it into a forward position to counter NATO. Inspector General of the Bundeswehr Zorn warned that the West must not underestimate Moscow, that it has "the ability to open a second front", and that the potential hot spot for conflict is Kaliningrad.
As NATO's "vanguard" in the east wing against Russia, Poland always pays attention to the wind and grass of the Russian side. Poland's deputy defense minister recently warned that NATO will respond to the deployment of missiles by Russia. Some media said that Putin's appearance in Kaliningrad made Poland nervous.
Infographic: In Vilnius, Lithuania, workers remove statues of Soviet-era soldiers.
Lithuania, another country adjacent to Kaliningrad, has previously provoked anger from russia for prohibiting Russian goods from being sanctioned by the European Union from transiting through the country to the local area.
When Kaliningrad Oblast Governor Ali Khanov met with Putin this time, he asked him to instruct the Russian Ministry of Transport to arrange idle ferries and dry cargo ships to transport goods from the Black Sea and other waters to the local area in order to circumvent Lithuanian restrictions. Putin responded that the Russian government would make local transportation "convenient and reasonable."
All in all, Putin's visit, like his profound "lectures," not only conveys a political and military signal, but also a gesture of swearing sovereignty, demonstrating his understanding of and coping with the regional situation.
Putin explained to Russian children the objectives of the Russian military's "special military operations" in Ukraine. Image source: Screenshot of the Russia Today report
The last time Putin's "international relations class" began was in February 2022, when he announced Russia's recognition of the "independence" of Donetsk and Luhansk.
At that time, Putin not only reviewed the territorial division problems left over from the Soviet Union in history, but also expressed his resentment that the Ukrainian authorities evaded history and intensified nationalist sentiments, and even more attacked the US-led NATO allies for repeatedly abandoning their commitments and expanding eastward many times, resulting in the current situation.
"Russia Today" believes that many people should listen to Putin's "lessons." (End)