{"id":26583,"date":"2023-12-20T11:39:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-20T11:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/berkshiredoulas.com\/?p=26583"},"modified":"2023-12-20T11:39:02","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T11:39:02","slug":"champagne-swigging-putin-vows-to-keep-confronting-west-until-he-dies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/berkshiredoulas.com\/world-news\/champagne-swigging-putin-vows-to-keep-confronting-west-until-he-dies\/","title":{"rendered":"Champagne-swigging Putin vows to keep confronting West until he dies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vladimir Putin has declared he will keep fighting the West until the day he dies.<\/p>\n

The Russian despot, 71, was spotted swigging champagne at a Heroes of Russia military awards ceremony. There, he vowed to "go to the end" to defend his country.<\/p>\n

In new footage released overnight, the dictator announced: "The Motherland gave us all, including me, the opportunity and rewarded us with the opportunity to work for our country and our people. This is a reward from the Motherland for each of us. And we all, including myself, will go to the end, defending the country's interests."<\/p>\n

READ MORE: 'Mystery virus outbreak hits Russia' as Kremlin deny huge ambulance queues<\/b><\/p>\n

For more of the latest news from the Daily Star, click here.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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The ceremony saw troops awarded new honours gained in Putin's controversial war in Ukraine. He praised the soldiers \u2013 who vary in rank from private to colonel \u2013 for "risking themselves and their health" and for "moving forward" with the ongoing invasion. "It is very important for me, of course, to hear this from people who are right there, on the front line," he added.<\/p>\n

The footage was released as a clip filmed a decade ago resurfaced, showing the tyrant ruling out an invasion of the besieged nation and declaring plans to send troops there "complete nonsense." "We are not indifferent to the situation of our compatriots [in Ukraine]," he said at the time.<\/p>\n

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