The Russian President, Wladimir Putinassured this Friday in his year-end press conference that Ukraine “did not achieve anything” during its year “great counteroffensive,” began last summer, and that Russian troops are “improving” their positions at the front. “The enemy has announced a major counteroffensive. He has not achieved anything anywhere,” he said in his year-end press conference, adding that Russian forces were “improving their positions” on almost the entire front line. The president announced that Kiev now produces almost no weapons. “Today Ukraine produces almost nothing. (…) They bring everything from outside for free. But this trade could end one day.” And it seems like it’s coming to an end,” he added.
This year, the Kremlin decided to combine the press conference with the question-and-answer session with citizens, which previously took place in the first and second half of the year. The last interventions of this kind by the Russian head of state, who turned 71 in October, took place in June 2021.
The Kremlin tenant noted that peace will come to Ukraine if Russia “achieves its goals,” which have not changed since the military campaign began in February 2022. “Peace will come when Russia achieves its goals” the Russian leader said, adding that the goals declared by Moscow before the war began “have not changed.” These are “demilitarization”, “denazification” of Ukraine and guarantees of its “neutral status”.
Regarding rumors of a new wave of mobilization in Russia to continue the fighting in the neighboring country, Putin assured that currently “there is no such need.” He remembered this after Partial mobilization in September 2022When about 300,000 fighters were recruited, Russia launched a campaign to recruit contract soldiers and expanded its ranks by almost another 500,000 people. “Then why mobilize? Today there is no such need,” the president said, adding that 1,500 volunteers come forward to fight every day in every country.
The Russian economy grows by 3.5%
The president also stated in his first major press conference since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022 that the strength of the economy gives the country not only a feeling of security, but also progress. “It’s not just enough to feel safe, but also to move forward”Putin responded to a question from the moderator about the strength of the country’s economy.
The president emphasized that Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by 3.5 percent this year. “This is a good indicator, the decline from last year has been made up,” he said. The Kremlin chief emphasized that this was due to several factors, including the high level of consolidation of Russian society and the stability of the country’s financial and economic system.
“Ultimately, it was a surprise to our so-called partners and, frankly, to many of us that Russia had built up this margin of strength and stability over the past decades,” he said. Putin added that another factor that led to these results was increasing the capabilities of the country’s armed forces and security forces.