MOSCOW. – Russian President Vladimir Putin declared this Friday that his armed forces are at war with Ukraine “They are willing to go further and put an end to this vermin.”“And regarding the European Union’s (EU) failed attempt to confiscate Russian funds to finance Kiev’s war effort, he warned that it was a case of “theft.” “The consequences could be serious for thieves”.
The Russian President made these statements at his annual press conference in Moscow as the United States and the Europeans continue to seek a way out of the conflict at the diplomatic level and the solution to the territorial issue remains in limbo.
In their more than four-hour exchange, Putin even answered an intimate question from a journalist from the 360 television channel He asked him if he was in love. “Yes,” the president replied, without giving further details. Previously, during the same question-and-answer session, the Russian president said he believed in “love at first sight.”
With this tradition, the president has made an annual New Year’s Eve marathon with supposedly spontaneous questions and answers one of the most important political events in the Kremlin calendar, in which the head of state takes part summarizes the work done during the year, sets new goals and even addresses everyday problems that appeal to some viewers.
However, the focus of his speech was the war in Ukraine. ““Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact.”And “I am sure that we will see new successes this year”he claimed.
Russian forces have accelerated their conquests in Ukraine this year They control around 19% of the territoryincluding the Crimean peninsula, annexed in 2014.
According to the 73-year-old leader “The ball is entirely in our Western rivals’ court, starting with the head of the Kiev regime and his European backers.” when it came to ending the fight.
He added that the Russians do not see themselves “responsible for the deaths of people because It wasn’t us who started this war” said.
Putin also explained this If Ukraine were to hold a presidential election – as Moscow and Washington want – it could order a suspension of long-range missile launches and drone strikes on election day..
The president also pointed to the EU’s decision not to use Russian assets frozen in the bloc to finance a 90 billion euro (about $105.5 billion) loan to Ukraine, which would have amounted to “theft,” he said. This week he described European leaders as “Little pigs” obsessed with the “collapse” of Russia.
More than 200 billion euros ($234 billion) of the Russian central bank is in the hands of Brussels-based Euroclear.
From Warsaw, where the Ukrainian president is visiting on Friday, Volodymyr Zelenskysaid that if his country is defeated in the end, Russia will “inevitably” attack Poland.
However, Putin claimed this Russia will not attack anyone “if they treat us with respect and respect our interests”.
As at conferences in previous years, his statements on numerous topics, such as the offensive in Ukraine in February 2022 or his relations with the American president, were awaited with great anticipation. Donald Trumpwhich tries to end the conflict.
The status of negotiations on the territorial issue is currently unclear.
In November, a proposal emerged from Washington, drawn up without the involvement of Kiev or its European allies, that would have meant Ukraine’s withdrawal from the entire eastern Donetsk region and the de facto recognition by the United States of Donetsk, Crimea and Luhansk as Russian.
The plan was changed during several meetings between Americans and Ukrainians, but the territorial issue remains a sticking point.
In September 2022, Russia claimed to have officially annexed the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Lugansk and Kherson regions, although it did not have full military control over them.
The conflict in Ukraine is also one of the Russian people’s greatest concerns. According to a poll conducted by the independent Levada Center in the middle of this month, 21% of respondents wanted Putin to be asked this Friday When would the “special military operation” end?
“If I had the chance to ask the president a question, I would ask him: ‘When will there be peace for all?’ “It would be luck.”Ana, a 65-year-old Moscow pensioner, told AFP.
According to data from this institute, declared a “foreign agent” by the authorities, 16% of respondents would like to know when their living conditions would improve, in a Russia facing high annual inflation of 6.6% in November and the target of numerous Western economic sanctions.
Although the Russian economy has resisted Western sanctions on hydrocarbons, the difficulties are palpable the lack of jobs and the prohibitive cost of bank loans. As a consequence, the Russian central bank announced that it would cut its key interest rate by half a percentage point to 16%.
After two years of war-related growth, the Russian economy is showing signs of fatigue. The central bank expects GDP growth of between 0.5% and 1% this year, compared to 4.3% in 2024 and 4.1% in 2023.
AFP and AP agencies
About The Author
