Pres Putin seems to be grasping at anything...
...Vladimir Putin has compared Russia's invasion of Ukraine to the fight against Nazi Germany, in a speech to mark the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of the Battle of Stalingrad.
Citing Germany's decision to send tanks to Ukraine, the Russian president said history was repeating itself.
"It's unbelievable but true," he said. "We are again being threatened by German Leopard tanks."
Germany is one of many countries helping Ukraine defend its territory.
Russia launched its bloody, full-scale invasion almost one year ago, prompting Western countries to send weapons and aid to the government in Kyiv.
Speaking in Volgograd - the modern name for Stalingrad - Mr Putin hinted that he could seek to move beyond conventional weapons.
"Those who hope to defeat Russia on the battlefield do not understand, it seems, that a modern war with Russia will be very different for them," the 70-year-old leader said. "We are not sending our tanks to their borders, but we have the means to respond. It won't be limited to the use of armoured hardware. Everyone must understand this."
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to elaborate on Mr Putin's comments but did tell reporters that "as new weapons are delivered by the collective West, Russia will make greater use of its potential to respond". ...
