The expanded Defense Ministry Board meeting in Moscow reviewed the Russian Armed Forces’ performance in 2025 and the conduct of what the Kremlin calls the “special military operation” in Ukraine.

It featured public addresses by Putin and Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, followed by a closed session and an awards ceremony.

“Little Pigs” And Civilizational Decline

Putin’s most striking language was directed at Europe, which he described as “little pigs” that “joined the work of the Biden administration in the hope of profiting from the collapse of our country.” 

The remark marked one of his bluntest rhetorical escalations toward European governments since the start of the war.

He framed the insult within a broader civilizational critique, saying that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia believed it would “quickly join the civilized Western world.” 

“Today, it seems there is no civilization there—only degradation,” Putin said, portraying Europe as both subordinate to Washington and morally decayed.

NATO Expansion And War Responsibility

Putin again rejected responsibility for the outbreak of war in 2022, stating: 

“We did not start the war in 2022; in essence, the West itself unleashed this war.” 

He argued that Moscow had been misled by Western assurances, citing what he described as broken promises that NATO would not expand eastward. 

“It was publicly stated that there would be no eastward expansion of NATO,” he said. “They didn’t give a damn.”

The Kremlin leader insisted that Russia had sought diplomatic solutions “until the last possible moment,” but claimed that Western refusal to address what Moscow sees as the conflict’s root causes left Russia with no alternative.

Military Objectives And Escalatory Warnings

Putin said the goals of the “special military operation” would be “unconditionally achieved,” reiterating that Russia would prefer diplomacy but was prepared to rely on force if talks fail. 

“We would prefer to eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy,” he said, adding that if dialogue is refused, Russia will pursue the “liberation” of its “historical lands” by military means.

He claimed Russian forces liberated more than 300 settlements in 2025 and now hold the strategic initiative across the entire frontline. 

Putin also announced that the “Oreshnik” system would be placed on combat duty by the end of the year, alongside references to strategic systems such as Poseidon and Burevestnik as long-term guarantors of security.

Defense Minister Andrei Belousov reinforced the confrontational framing with quantitative claims. 

He said Ukrainian forces lost nearly 500,000 personnel and more than 100,000 pieces of equipment in 2025, reducing combat potential by about one-third. 

He added that the pace of Russian advances increased by 1.5 to 2 times compared with 2024 and that nearly 410,000 people signed military contracts this year, roughly two-thirds under age 40.

Belousov accused NATO of preparing for armed confrontation with Russia around 2030, saying, “We are not threatening them; they are threatening us.” 

He also claimed that more than 70 percent of Ukraine’s thermal power plants and over 37 percent of its hydroelectric facilities have been put out of operation, and stated that Kupiansk is under Russian control.