Vladimir Putin held his annual televised question-and-answer session on Thursday.
The opportunity for the Russian president to sweep away all the major current issues, from the conflict in Ukraine to the return of Donald Trump to the White House via his new “Orechnik” missile.
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War in Ukraine: a thousand days since the Russian invasion
It’s a long-awaited moment, as his words have become rare lately. Vladimir Putin gave his annual press conference this Thursday, December 19, answering, during an event carefully staged from Moscow and broadcast on television, questions from journalists and citizens of the country. For 4.5 hours, the Russian president addressed many subjects, starting with the most burning of them, namely the war in Ukraine.
“If it were possible to go back in time, knowing what is happening today, I would have considered deciding to launch a special operation [en Ukraine] earlier”he said, implying that Russia should have prepared better for this conflict. However, he showed his confidence for the coming months, judging that the situation “changed radically” on the front, where his troops resumed their advance.
We will absolutely defeat them
Vladimir Putin, regarding the advance of Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region
The leader, on the other hand, admitted not knowing when his army would manage to drive Ukrainian forces out of the Russian region of Kursk, where they still occupy several hundred square kilometers. This territorial capture of kyiv – following the largest offensive on Russian territory since the Second World War – is a major thorn in the side of the master of the Kremlin, who wants to persuade his citizens that the operations carried out have no impact on their daily life. “We will absolutely defeat them”he insisted, without giving further details.
The head of state also praised his new “Orechnik” missile, a “poor modern” which can carry a nuclear charge and strike thousands of kilometers away. He even proposed a “high-tech duel of the 21st century” between this machine and the anti-aircraft defense means of Western countries. “Let them determine a target. Let’s say: kyiv”he proposed, in a provocation. “We’ll throw a strike there, and see what happens.”
On the contrary, he strongly criticized his special services, which failed to prevent the assassination of General Igor Kirillov (new window)killed Tuesday in an explosion. “We must not allow such flaws”he asserted.
A changed balance of power with the return of Trump?
Another major theme discussed, the upcoming return of Donald Trump to the White House, who has repeatedly promised to bring peace to Ukraine “in 24 hours” and called for a “immediate ceasefire” as well as talks (new window). “If we ever meet President-elect Trump, I’m sure we’ll have a lot to talk about.”slipped Vladimir Putin. According to him, Moscow is ready for “dialogue” with kyiv, but only on the basis of “ground realities”. A way of saying that Russia does not plan to return the conquered territories to its neighbor. He also rejected any possibility of a truce, which would allow the Ukrainian army to “take a break” and rearm.
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Russia: Vladimir Putin recognizes that high inflation is a “worrying signal”
Finally, the Russian president spoke half-heartedly about the state of his country’s economy. Galloping inflation, at 8.9% in November according to official figures, is a “worrying signal”he conceded. This rare admission comes on the eve of a highly anticipated meeting of the Central Bank of Russia (BCR), which could raise its key rate, already at a record level in 20 years, by 21%. However, despite an increasingly gloomy economic situation and poor prospects for 2025, the person concerned affirmed that the “whole situation” was “stable”.
