Not content with invading Ukraine, Putin says Russia will return to the moon

Putin's dreams take to the stars

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to re-launch the Russian space program alongside plans to send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon. Amid his continued assault on Ukraine, which has crippled the Russian economy alongside Western sanctions, Putin is looking to take his invasion to space. Speaking to Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on April 12, he claimed that no sanctions could halt Russia's progress. According to Reuters, Putin also spoke about a next-generation spaceship and the potential of harnessing nuclear energy in space. The Russian President also revealed that during the third quarter of 2022, Russia would send a crewless space probe to the moon dubbed Luna-25. [caption id="attachment_329630" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Via Getty[/caption] It's understood that Putin plans to work with Belarus on infrastructure that guarantees the country's independent access to space. Roskosmos, Russia's space agency, has also been asked to train a Belarusian for space missions. Putin also spoke on the continued conflict in Ukraine, which he described as a "noble" venture. "We have again returned to a dead-end situation for us," he said on peace talks with Ukrainian officials. Russia will "rhythmically and calmly" continue the war. While Putin's aspirations are literally out of this world, his country is suffering the worst financial recession since the Cold War. But the Cold War is also driving Putin, who hopes to disband the international order allegedly created by the Americans after the conflict. "That Blitzkrieg on which our foes were counting did not work," Putin said, according to reports. "The United States is ready to fight with Russia until the last Ukrainian - that is the way it is." [caption id="attachment_329631" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Via UnSplash[/caption] He also reportedly drew comparisons between his invasion of Ukraine and military action carried out by Western forces. "Have you seen how this Syrian city was turned to rubble by American aircraft? Corpses lay in the ruins for months decomposing," he said. "Nobody cared. No one even noticed." He added: "There was no such silence when provocations were staged in Syria, when they portrayed the use of chemical weapons by the Assad government. Then it turned out that it was fake. It's the same kind of fake in Bucha." Related links:

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