Putin’s statements “delusional” - U.S. CDA Kvien

This was stated by Chargé d'Affaires of the United States in Ukraine, Kristina Kvien, who spoke to journalists in Lviv on Tuesday, February 22, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“We all heard the speech President Putin delivered yesterday.  His outrageous statements about Ukraine and the Ukrainian people were delusional, reflecting a warped vision reminiscent not of a global leader, but of Europe’s worst authoritarians.

She stressed the fact that Ukraine was created by the Ukrainian people, who boast a rich and unique culture, and which has grown ever stronger since the yoke of Soviet repression was thrown off.

Asked about the cautious move to have the embassy staff spend nights in neighboring Poland, Kvien said it was due to the fact that yesterday’s speech by Vladimir Putin was not that of a “reasonable” man.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed off a decree recognizing the independence of the so-called “LPR” and “DPR” entities in eastern Ukraine.

At the same time, he accused Kyiv of escalating the situation in Donbas, claiming that Russia had done everything in its power to preserve Ukraine's territorial integrity. Putin concluded his speech with a threat to Ukraine, which is allegedly acting aggressively in the east of the country.

Ukraine's international partners have condemned Putin's move. In particular, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a decree freezing the assets of certain persons and banning certain deals. In addition, Germany has decided to suspend certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

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