Vladimir Putin took advantage of his major end-of-year press conference this Friday to deliver a series of strong declarations, with strong political, military and geostrategic significance. Faced with the Russian and international media, the Russian president wanted to display a posture of firmness, while suggesting a conditional openness to a diplomatic outcome of the conflict in Ukraine.
On the military front, the head of the Kremlin was confident, affirming that the Russian army had “taken the strategic initiative” on the entire Ukrainian front. According to him, Russian forces are advancing continuously and Moscow’s military objectives will be achieved, whether through continued operations or through negotiations imposed by the balance of power.
Putin nevertheless reaffirmed that Russia remained willing to end the conflict by peaceful means, provided that what he called the “root causes” of the war were addressed. This formula clearly refers to Moscow’s demands, in particular the recognition of the territories occupied by Russia and the questioning of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic orientation.
On this point, the Russian president was inflexible. He repeated that any lasting solution would require the recognition of Crimea and the annexed regions, as well as the abandonment, by kyiv, of any ambition to join NATO. Conditions deemed unacceptable by the Ukrainian authorities and their Western allies.
Economic difficulties
Vladimir Putin also attacked European countries head-on, accused of wanting to “steal” frozen Russian assets to finance the Ukrainian war effort. He warned that such decisions would not remain without consequences, raising the threat of economic or political reprisals.
The question of regional security was also addressed, in particular that of the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. The Russian president warned against any attempt to obstruct access to this territory, stressing that Russia would respond “by any means necessary” to what it considered a provocation.
Finally, on the domestic front, Vladimir Putin recognized the economic difficulties linked to inflation and sanctions, while affirming that the situation remained under control. He defended the choices of the Central Bank and assured that the current economic slowdown was a “calculated price” to preserve the stability of the country. A speech intended as much to reassure Russian opinion as to send a message of resilience abroad.
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