Putin: Russia is close to the "primary goal" in Ukraine

2024-12-19 13:19:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow is close to its primary goal in the war against Ukraine, and challenged the United States to a missile "duel" involving Russia's new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile.

Speaking at an annual conference, which he uses largely to demonstrate his control over nearly every aspect of Russia's political and economic spheres, Putin boasted about the country's economy, glossing over the impact of heavy Western sanctions on the Kremlin. after the invasion of Ukraine.

The tightly controlled question-and-answer session on December 19, which is broadcast live by state television channels across the country, has focused in recent years on domestic issues.

Putin, in power for nearly a quarter of a century, said Russian forces are advancing along the front line in Ukraine and are on track to achieve their primary goals.

He did not explain what he meant by that, but he has said in the past that peace will be possible after Ukraine's "denazification, demilitarization and neutral status."

Russia falsely claims that Ukraine is ruled by "radical nationalists" ie neo-Nazi groups.

However, Putin also acknowledged that he could not say when Russia would regain full control of the western Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in August and still controls parts of the territory.

"We will definitely expel them. Absolutely. It cannot be otherwise. But as for an exact date, I'm sorry, I can't say now," Putin said.

Russia has been moving towards authoritarianism since Putin came to power.

But, since the 2018 elections, this trend has strengthened even more. The opposition, which was already marginalized, has been completely suppressed.

Earlier this year, Alexei Navalny, Putin's most prominent critic, died in a Siberian prison.

Meanwhile, during the conference, Putin spoke defiantly about the weapons issue, suggesting that Moscow and Washington choose targets that would be protected by US defense systems and then allow Oreshnik missiles to be fired at them.

"We are ready for such an experiment," Putin said.

Russia used the Oreshnik ballistic missile against Ukraine on November 21, in an attack that targeted the city of Dnipro.

Putin said at the time that it was in response to Ukraine's use of US ballistic missiles, ATACMS, and British missiles, Storm Shadow, for the first time, to strike Russian territory with Western permission.

Analysts have expressed skepticism about the Oreshnik missiles, saying the launch of the new medium-range missile was as much a political message as a show of military force./REL