https://video.echelon.pl/videos/watch/4d2fa358-5229-4ce6-a72b-2c093f7d796c Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Andrii Melnyk speech in response to Russian demands to annex Donbas. Thirty-five million Russians have no toilet at home. On the one hand, Russia demands recognition as a "great superpower," claiming the right to redraw state borders by force and impose a new sphere of influence. Yet, on the other hand, around 35 million Russian citizens still rely on outside toilets — shabby wooden huts in yards and gardens. Putin wants to convince American mediators and the broader international community that peace itself hinges on Ukraine’s voluntary surrender of the Donetsk region and that, once this demand is met, Russia will at last be happy and eternal peace will follow. Does anyone seriously believe this fairy tale? We don’t. What is the purpose of this relentless war of conquest when only about 1 percent of Russia’s vast territory is populated and developed, while the remaining 99 percent are largely neglected and, at best, partially exploited for natural resource extraction? Moreover, during his 26-year rule, Putin has effectively abandoned his population, many of whom still struggle with the most basic standards of sanitation. According to official statistical data, one-fourth of Russian households do not have access to centralized sewage systems or indoor sanitation facilities. In rural areas, the situation is even more severe: in some regions, up to two-thirds of households must rely on outdoor pit latrines. Let us imagine the scale of the absurdity we are dealing with. On the one hand, Russia demands recognition as a "great superpower," claiming the right to redraw state borders by force and impose a new sphere of influence. Yet, on the other hand, around 35 million Russian citizens still rely on outside toilets — shabby wooden huts in yards and gardens. Let me repeat: thirty-five million Russians have no toilet at home. This is roughly the population of Malaysia, Poland, or Saudi Arabia and is comparable to the population of Texas, or almost that of California. Putin wants Russia to be seen as a respected global player while living conditions for a huge part of Russia’s population remain no better than in the early Middle Ages. This is the true paradox before us: Putin seeks imperial expansion abroad while failing to secure basic human dignity at home. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:30:02 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://video.echelon.pl https://video.echelon.pl/client/assets/images/icons/icon-512x512.png https://video.echelon.pl/videos/watch/4d2fa358-5229-4ce6-a72b-2c093f7d796c All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://video.echelon.pl/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.