Russian President Vladimir Putin said that “99.9 percent” of Russians are patriotic enough to sacrifice their lives in the Ukrainian war effort.
In an interview with Russian propagandist Pavel Zarubin on Rossiya-1, the Russian leader said that his military was well-stocked with willing, war-ready men.
“As for the most—99.9%—of our citizens, our people that are ready to sacrifice everything for the Motherland, it doesn’t strike me as unusual,” Putin said in the interview. “But it just reassures me yet again that Russia is a special country, and it has special people.”
“This just once again convinces me that Russia is a unique country and that we have an exceptional people. This has been confirmed throughout the history of Russia’s existence.”
In the interview, Putin suggested that he would negotiate the war’s end.
“We are ready to negotiate with everyone involved about acceptable solutions, but that is up to them – we are not the ones refusing to negotiate; they are.”
Putin’s words are contradicted by statistics tabulated by outside groups. More than 370,000 young men deserted Russia to neighboring countries when Putin announced the partial mobilization. Reports indicate that older Russian men with health issues have been sent to the front lines in Ukraine. Many of the men have been sent without proper training or equipment. Many don’t have necessary items like gloves, socks or food.
