Ready to meet with President-elect Donald Trump “at any time”, the , said today, amid speculation about , regarding the war in .
“I don’t know when I will see him. He doesn’t say anything about it. I haven’t spoken to him in over four years. I’m ready to do it, of course. Any time,” noted the Russian president.
During his major annual press conference, Putin also said he had not seen Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president who was toppled in early December by a coalition of rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS ) and fled with his family to Russia, adding however that he has “the intention to do so”.
“I have not yet seen President Assad since he arrived in Moscow, but I intend to. Of course I will talk to him,” Putin noted, answering a question from an American journalist, and added that he would ask about the fate of missing American journalist Austin Tice.
The Russian president also emphasized that the fall of Assad, a close ally of Moscow, is not a “defeat” for Russia, also noting that the Russian army, which had been mobilized in Syria since 2015, “achieved its goal” there.
“They are trying to present what happened in Syria as a defeat for Russia. I assure you that this did not happen,” he emphasized. “We went to Syria 10 years ago to prevent a pocket of terrorists from being created there, like in Afghanistan. Overall we achieved our goal,” he insisted.
Optimistic about the economy – Confident about Ukraine
The Russian president boasted about the economy and hailed his troops’ gains in Ukraine at the annual event aimed at bolstering his power and demonstrating his sweeping control of the country’s political scene.
The economy is on track to grow by almost 4% this year, he claimed, although he acknowledged that consumer prices are high, with inflation at 9.3%, but insisted that the economic situation remains “stable”. Inflation is expected to be close to 9% at the end of the year, after nearly 7.5% in 2023 and 12% in 2022.
On the operation in Ukraine, he said the military was “moving towards achieving our objectives” as Russian forces have made slow but steady gains.
“The situation is changing radically, we are advancing across the front line,” he said, asking his colleagues to unfurl a banner of marines fighting Ukrainian forces that have launched an offensive in Russia’s Kursk region.
Missile duel for Oresnik
This invasion proved to be a major embarrassment for the Kremlin. Asked when Russian troops would drive out Ukrainian forces, Putin replied that “we will definitely drive them out,” but did not say how long it would take. However, he defended the capabilities of the new Oresnik missile and… proposed an idiosyncratic duel to the West.
“Those who question the capabilities of the missile and are paid for their analyzes by the West and the US, let’s come and have a high-tech duel. Let them pick a target, for example in Kiev, and concentrate their anti-missile and air shields there when we launch an Oresnik missile. We will see what happens, we are ready for such an experiment,” he said.
Putin said Russia’s use of the Oresnik was in response to the West giving Kiev permission to use longer-range weapons to strike Russia. He threatened that Moscow could launch more strikes on Ukraine with the missile and warned that it could also be used to target military facilities in countries that have allowed Kiev to use their missiles for attacks deep into Russia.
Just two days ago, a senior Russian general was killed by a bomb outside his home in Moscow. The assassination of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, which Ukraine claimed responsibility for, brought the nearly three-year war to the streets of the Russian capital.
Ukraine has repeatedly committed terrorist acts against Russian citizens, Putin said, referring to the killing of Kirillov, the commander of Russia’s radiological, chemical and biological defense forces, who was killed along with his aide.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), which claims Kirillov was responsible for using chemical weapons against Ukrainian soldiers, which Moscow denies, claimed responsibility for the killing.
“This murder was committed in a way that is dangerous to the lives of many people. The regime in Kiev has repeatedly committed such crimes, terrorist crimes, terrorist attacks against many citizens of the Russian Federation,” Putin said.
On Wednesday, Russia announced that it had arrested an Uzbek man who confessed to planting and detonating the bomb that killed Kirilov on the orders of the SBU.
Russia is ready for talks and compromises in Ukraine, but wants the other side to be equally ready, Putin added, but reiterated his condition that Ukraine must give up its bid to join NATO and recognize the Russia’s profits. Kyiv and the West have rejected these demands.
Observers will be alert for any signs of a shift in the Russian leader’s negotiating position ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to negotiate a deal to end hostilities.
The objectives behind the interview
In recent years, the press conference, which is broadcast live by state television stations in Russia’s 11 time zones, has been largely dominated by domestic issues. Most journalists and ordinary people call the studio to ask about road repairs, utility prices, medical services and government subsidies. Meanwhile, journalists near the Kremlin wave colorful signs and placards as they desperately try to get Putin’s attention.
However, the focus is on Putin’s comments on foreign affairs. Russian state media reported that ordinary citizens submitted more than 2 million questions ahead of the interview.
