Putin, who has held power for nearly 24 years and announced last week he is running for reelection, was greeted with applause as he arrived in the hall in central Moscow. He didn't hold his traditional news conference last year amid setbacks in Ukraine.
Emboldened by battlefield gains and flagging Western support for Ukraine, a relaxed and confident President Vladimir Putin says there will be no peace until Moscow achieves its goals, which he says are 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 that proved deeply unpopular before. He said there are some 617,000 Russian soldiers currently in Ukraine, including around 244,000 troops called up to fight alongside professional forces.
MOSCOW (AP) — 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
Emboldened by battlefield gains and flagging Western support for Ukraine, a relaxed and confident President Vladimir Putin says there will be no peace until Moscow achieves its goals, which he