Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that he is open to dialogue with US President-elect Donald Trump for possible attempts to peace deal with Ukraine. Trump had previously said he could negotiate a peace deal for Ukraine in a matter of hours after taking office, which raised concerns in Kyiv about possible compromises with Moscow.
During his end-of-year press conference, Putin expressed confidence in the capability of Russia’s military to fight in Ukraine, saying that Russian forces have superiority on the battlefield. He agreed with the possibility of meeting with Trump and emphasized that Russia is ready for “negotiations and compromises.”
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Putin challenged the West to test its new hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik, in a sort of high-tech duel with Western air defenses, in a statement suggesting access to non-escaping aerial targets. He also referred to the operations in eastern Ukraine, where Russian forces have granted significant advances.
On international affairs, he noted that his country and China are closer than ever, and above all both are now able to coordinate their actions in the global arena. Indeed, while mentioning economic problems such as high inflation, he reported that “the economy is stable” in Russia.
Putin discussed the situation in Syria while denying the allegations that Russia was beaten after the removal of President Bashar al-Assad. He said that Russia met its objectives in Syria and that today many countries were seeking rapprochement with the new Syrian leadership.
Lastly, Putin condemned the assassination of Russian General Igor Kirillov, calling it terrorism and accusing Ukraine of committing terrorist acts repeatedly against citizens of Russia. An Uzbek citizen has been arrested in Russia for confessing to planting the bomb on orders from the security service of Ukraine.