“There will be peace when we achieve our goals,” President Vladimir Putin said of the war in Ukraine. At a year-end convention on Dec. 14, the Russian president discussed military strategy while reaffirming the authority of his re-election campaign. .
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Dec. 14 that there will be no peace in Ukraine until the Kremlin meets its goals, which remain unchanged after nearly two years of fighting that has heightened tensions between Moscow and the West.
Speaking at a year-end news conference that lasted over four hours and offered him an opportunity to reinforce his grip on power, Mr. Putin gave some rare details on what Moscow calls its “special military operation.”
He rejected the need for a second wave of mobilizing reservists to fight in Ukraine, a deeply unpopular move. He said there were about 617,000 Russian troops there, adding about 244,000 infantrymen called up to fight alongside pro-military forces.
“There will be peace when we achieve our goals,” Putin said, repeating a common Kremlin phrase: “Victory will be ours. “
Putin highlighted the Russian military’s advances in Ukraine as the winter of the fighting approaches.
“Almost along the line of contact, our armed forces, let’s say it modestly, are in their positions, almost all of them in a phase of active action and there is an improvement in the position of our troops at all times,” he said.
“The enemy launched a big counteroffensive, but it didn’t achieve anything anywhere,” he added. Putin, claiming that Ukraine’s new attempt to create a bridgehead on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River had also failed and that Ukrainian troops had been badly damaged. losses. .
He alleged that Kyiv sacrificed its troops to show some good luck to its Western backers as it sought more help.
“I think it’s stupid and irresponsible on the part of the country’s political leaders, but it’s their business,” he said.
Mr. Putin, who has held power for nearly 24 years and announced last week he is running for reelection, was greeted with applause as he arrived in the hall in central Moscow. He didn’t hold his traditional news conference last year after his military failed to take Kyiv and as the Ukrainian army retook territory in the east and south.
But with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy forced to plead for more aid from the United States amid a stalling counteroffensive and fracturing Western support, he decided to face the media once more – although the session is heavily choreographed and is more about spectacle than scrutiny.
It was the first time Putin, who has seriously limited his interactions with foreign media, faced questions from Western sleuths since fighting began in Ukraine. Ordinary citizens were given the opportunity to ask questions along with those of the bloodhounds, and Russian state media reported that at least two million of them had been sent in advance.
The news conference began with questions about Ukraine and highlighted concerns some Russians have about another wave of mobilization.
“There is no need” for mobilization now, Mr. Putin said, because 1,500 men are being recruited every day. As of the evening of Dec. 13, 486,000 soldiers have signed a contract with the Russian military, he said.
Putin’s comments about a new wave of mobilization were met with skepticism by some independent Russian media, which noted that he had promised to draft reservists for Ukraine, then reversed course and ordered a “partial” withdrawal.
The move, which he announced in September 2022, prompted thousands of Russians to leave the country.
He reiterated that Moscow’s goals in Ukraine – “denazification, demilitarization and an impartial status” of Ukraine – remained unchanged. He had vaguely laid out those goals on the day he sent troops to his neighbor in February 2022.
The “denazification” claim refers to Russia’s claims that the Ukrainian government is heavily influenced by radical nationalist and neo-Nazi outfits, an accusation ridiculed in Kiev and the West.
Putin also demanded that Ukraine be impartial and refrain from joining NATO.
Putin’s last press conference took place in 2021, amid warnings from the United States that Russia was about to send troops into Ukraine. He postponed his annual State of the Union address until February of this year.
Since then, relations between Russia and the United States have fallen to new lows as the standoff continues and after Moscow arrested American journalist Evan Gershkovich while briefing Russia in March.
Shortly before Putin spoke, a Russian court ruled that Gershkovich was expected to remain in jail until at least Jan. 30.
U. S. citizen Paul Whelan, the chief security officer of a Michigan company, has been jailed in Russia since his arrest in 2018 on espionage-related charges.
Russia recently rejected an offer to repatriate Gershkovich and Whelan, who were wrongfully detained by the U. S. government.
“We do not refuse to return them,” Putin said on Dec. 14, adding that he wanted to reach an agreement but that “it is not easy. “
He declined to address the main points of a possible swap but said Washington “must listen to us” and make an offer that satisfies Russia.
Putin appeared calm and at ease during the press conference, although he clears his throat, blaming the air conditioning. His appearance is basically aimed at a domestic audience and is an opportunity for him to show himself personally concerned about solving the city’s disorders. ordinary Russians and strengthen their authority ahead of the March 17 elections.
In response to a final question about the kind of caution he would have given himself with the attitude that existed when he began his first term in office in 2000, Putin said he would have warned against “naivety and overconfidence in our so-called partners. “”.
To a question about toll collection, Putin took notes and gave the impression that he was doing calculations in a notebook.
He also answered questions from a youth organization in Russia-annexed Crimea about roof leaks and mold in his gym, as well as a woman who went to “my favorite president” to complain about rising egg prices.
“I regret this and for this. A challenge in the work of the government,” Putin said, explaining that egg production has not responded to demands and blaming the government for not increasing imports quickly enough.
Although the press conference was heavily choreographed, some questions – which Putin did not answer – seemed to go unnoticed and appeared on screens around the room.
“Mr. President, when will genuine Russia be the same as that of television?”” said one text message, referring to the Kremlin’s control over media outlets that portray Putin in a positive light, gloss over the country’s turmoil and highlight his achievements.
Another read: “I would like to know, when will our president take an interest in his country?We don’t have education or physical assistance. The abyss awaits us.
An edition of synthetic intelligence, speaking with his face and voice, asked Putin if he used double-frames, a subject of intense hypothesis by some Kremlin observers. Putin rejected this suggestion.
“Only one user looks like me and speaks with my voice; that user will be me,” he said impassively: “By the way, this is my first double. “
Journalists queued in freezing temperatures to enter the venue hours before Putin’s arrival and some wore classic clothing, adding elaborate hats to get his attention. Many journalists also held signs, prompting the Kremlin to restrict their size.
Participants were tested for COVID-19 and flu prior to entering the site. Putin imposed a strict quarantine on visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This story was reported via the Associated Press. AP editors Emma Burrows in London and Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed.
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