President Vladimir Putin confirmed no indicators of relenting in his warfare in opposition to Ukraine, telling Russians in his annual press convention and call-in occasion on December 14 that his objectives remained the identical and peace will come when they’re achieved.
Taking questions for simply over 4 hours from a mixture of journalists, the general public, troopers, and even an AI-generated model of himself, Putin, who final week introduced he is operating for a fifth time period as president in a March election, took questions on a variety of matters, from Russia’s warfare in opposition to Ukraine, to Individuals in Russian custody, to the value of eggs.
With the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine now in its twenty second month, Putin stated Russia’s core objectives for the battle stay the ”de-Nazification” and ”de-militarization” of Ukraine, whereas securing its neutrality.
”There will probably be peace after we obtain our objectives,” the 71-year-old Russian chief stated of the warfare, which the federal government has legislated should be known as a ”particular navy operation.”
”As for de-militarization, in the event that they (the Ukrainians) do not need to come to an settlement — effectively, then we’re pressured to take different measures, together with navy ones…. Both we get an settlement, agree on sure parameters [on the size and strength of Ukraine’s military]… or we resolve this by drive. That is what we’ll try for.”
For the reason that outset of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Putin has stated the purpose of the operation is the ”demilitarization and de-Nazification” of Ukraine, phrases that Kremlin officers have used to falsely assert that the federal government in Kyiv is managed by Nazi sympathizers although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is Jewish and misplaced family within the Holocaust.
Putin made the long-anticipated announcement to run for reelection on December 8 following a ceremony within the Kremlin, the place he awarded troopers who fought within the warfare in Ukraine with Russia’s highest navy honor, the Hero of Russia Gold Star.
Russian elections are tightly managed by the Kremlin and are neither free nor honest however are seen by the federal government as essential to convey a way of legitimacy. They’re mangled by exclusion of opposition candidates, voter intimidation, poll stuffing, and different technique of manipulation.
Putin turned eligible to participate in Russia’s subsequent two presidential elections after he rammed by way of constitutional modifications in 2020 that paved the best way for him to stay in workplace till 2036.
He has been prime minister or president since 1999, slashing democratic norms and freedoms with each new time period. If he serves one other full time period, he would surpass the practically 30-year reign of Josef Stalin and turn out to be Russia’s longest-serving chief since Catherine the Nice (1762-1796).
He’s unlikely to face any problem within the race together with his two important rivals — Aleksei Navalny and Vladimir Kara-Murza — each in jail serving prolonged sentences and dissent usually stifled by way of laws.
The invasion of Ukraine, now in its twenty second month, has been a catastrophe for Russia, taking the lives of tens of 1000’s of troopers, upending the financial system, and ruining relations with the West. Putin has outlawed criticism of the warfare and the armed forces to crush any opposition.
Putin stated through the December 14 occasion, which has beforehand lasted a number of hours, {that a} additional wave of navy mobilization just isn’t wanted for the time being, as ”the stream of males able to defend our homeland with arms in hand just isn’t reducing.”
Some 300,000 Russians had been mobilized to the navy final yr and Putin stated there are at present round 617,000 Russian troopers preventing within the warfare.
Russian state media stated greater than 2 million questions had been submitted by bizarre residents for the information convention, which additionally included the presence of Western journalists, the primary time for the reason that Ukraine invasion that Putin was nose to nose with worldwide reporters asking questions.
Not one of the questions challenged Putin on points such because the warfare’s loss of life toll — estimated at greater than 300,000 Russians, his brutal crackdown on dissent and opposition voices similar to Aleksei Navalny, or what one other Putin time period in workplace would appear like.
Nonetheless, amid plummeting relations with america, Putin took a query from a New York Occasions reporter about talks with Washington over the destiny of two Individuals — Wall Avenue Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and/or U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan — at present in Russian custody.
Putin flippantly requested if Gershkovich was ”the Australian” in query earlier than saying there was dialogue between the 2 sides on prisoner swaps however the scenario was ”difficult” and a call ”should be one that may mutually fulfill all sides.”
He did not point out every other Individuals at present being held by Russia, amongst them Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) veteran journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.
On the financial system, which has been fueled by state spending on the military-industrial advanced, Putin performed up development, which he stated would prime 3.5 p.c yearly this yr regardless of unprecedented worldwide sanctions from the West and its allies over the Ukraine invasion.
In a single space of financial concern, inflation, Putin even supplied a uncommon apology, saying the federal government had didn’t maintain costs — particularly for eggs — in test. He then promised that ”the scenario will probably be corrected within the close to future.”
In a lighter second, close to the tip of the occasion Putin was confronted with a query from an AI-generated model of himself asking concerning the menace synthetic intelligence posed to the nation.
Putin did not reply the query straight, as an alternative making gentle of persistent rumors he makes use of physique doubles as a safety precaution.
”That is my first physique double, by the best way,” he stated earlier than occurring to say that ”just one individual ought to appear like me and communicate in my voice. And that individual will probably be myself.”