Putin says Russia is in a fight for the existence of the state March 14, 2023 at 03:52AM

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that what was at stake in Ukraine was Russia's very existence as a state. In comments to workers at an aviation factory, Putin repeated his familiar argument that the West was bent on pulling Russia apart. "So for us this is not a geopolitical task, but a task of the survival of Russian statehood, creating conditions for the future development of the country and our children," he said.