"The goal of our strategic enemies has been to dismantle, weaken and divide our country several centuries ago. There is nothing new in this matter. It seems that the country is very large and poses a threat to one party, so it needs to A little bit of division."

He added that Russia has always been adhering to a completely different approach and different beliefs than others, so its enemies have always nurtured ideas and developments.

Plans aimed at weakening and dividing it.

Putin stressed that Russia has always sought to be part of the so-called civilized world, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union, "but it turned out that we were not welcome in this world, despite all our efforts and attempts," he said.

"On the contrary, other measures have been taken against us, including the use of international terrorists in the Caucasus in order to eliminate Russia and dismantle the newly created Russian Federation," he said.

In New York, the New York Times quoted the White House as announcing today that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had arrived in Washington to meet US President Joe Biden and deliver an evening speech to a joint session of Congress.

According to what the newspaper reported, the visit is Zelensky's first outside Ukraine since the Russian military operation last February, coinciding with Ukraine's arrival at a pivotal point in the war, which is now being waged on two fronts: in the fields and forests in southern and eastern Ukraine, where armies are fighting, and in the sky. the country as Ukrainian forces attempt to shoot down Russian missiles and drones targeting civilian infrastructure.

The newspaper described the visit as bold, as the Ukrainian forces were able to achieve gains in defending their land, and indicated that it aims to mobilize more support for Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader is scheduled to meet President Biden at the White House this evening, Washington time.