Russian President Vladimir Putin fielded questions from children in Russian-annexed Crimea during his annual news conference in Moscow Thursday. Responding to…
MOSCOW — Emboldened by battlefield gains and flagging Western support for Ukraine, a relaxed and confident President Vladimir Putin said Thursday there would be no peace until Russia achieves its
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed Thursday that there would be no peace in Ukraine until his goals are achieved and said those objectives remain unchanged at a year-end news conference that offers the leader an opportunity to reinforce his grip on power.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says there will be no peace in Ukraine until Moscow achieves its goals, which remain unchanged after nearly two years of fighting. He spoke Thursday at a year-end news conference that gave him an opportunity to reinforce his authority as he runs for reelection in March after nearly 24 years in power. Giving rare detail on what Moscow calls its “special military operation,” Putin dismissed the need for a second wave of mobilization of reservists to fight in Ukraine that proved deeply unpopular before. He said there are some 617,000 Russian soldiers currently there, including around 244,000 troops who were called up to fight alongside professional forces.