At his annual press conference at the end of the year, Putin stated that Russia is open to cooperation “on equal terms” with the West.
He hailed the progress of his troops in Ukraine during a conference in Moscow – a highlight of his 25-year rule – and the Russian president was encouraged by successes on the battlefield in Ukraine during the US diplomatic effort to end the nearly four-year war.
As the Russian offensive enters another winter, Putin has been telling Russians for days that Moscow will take the rest of eastern Ukraine by force if diplomacy fails.
Launched in February 2022, the Russian leader’s attack on Ukraine became Europe’s worst conflict since World War II, killing thousands on both sides.
Since then, Russia has been under massive Western sanctions, with internal crackdowns on dissidents not seen since the Soviet era.
– Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact. The enemy is retreating in all directions – Putin said at the festive event, shown on big screens across Russian cities.
– I am sure that before the end of this year we will witness new successes – he added, enumerating the list of Ukrainian cities targeted by his army.
Heightened security measures were in place around Moscow’s Kremlin and Red Square, with some areas closed to pedestrians. AFP journalists witnessed dozens of police cars and special services on the streets.
Putin spoke as the EU scrambled to help Kiev avoid a deal offered by the United States that is seen as imposing a virtual capitulation on Ukraine, and as the Kremlin seeks to keep Europe out of settlement talks.
Escalating his rhetoric this week, Putin called EU leaders “scumbags” and vowed to use “military means” to seize the rest of the Ukrainian land he has declared Russian if talks fail.
In a speech on Friday, he warned of “severe” consequences if EU powers implement proposals to use Russian assets frozen in Europe to fund Ukraine’s defense.
In the tightly controlled TV show, Putin answers questions from journalists and makes telephone calls to people from 12 time zones in Russia.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
