Observers saw this as an offer to the West asking Ukraine to capitulate in the war. “Peace will come when we have achieved our goals,” said Putin.
At the same time, Putin said that no new partial mobilization was necessary for the war. The number of volunteers will be half a million contract soldiers by the end of the year, with 1,500 being added every day. Putin, however, praised the fact that the 300,000 soldiers drafted after the controversial partial mobilization last year produced excellent results. “They fight excellently,” said the 71-year-old.
Once again he also spoke of the goal of “denazification” of Ukraine. As examples, Putin cited the admiration for the Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera and the case of a Ukrainian who fought on the Nazi side in World War II and was given a standing ovation in the Canadian Parliament in the presence of President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Speaker of Parliament in Canada then had to resign.
Putin held a major press conference for the first time after a break due to the war last year. The question and answer session for journalists was combined as a media spectacle on state television with the TV show “The Direct Wire”, in which citizens can describe their problems, to form the program “Results of the Year”.
The attention for the major media event is not only great because of Putin’s devastating war of aggression against Ukraine. It is the first time since the invasion began that he has spoken out in such a TV format. The Kremlin boss wants to be elected president for the fifth time on March 17th. He had the constitution changed specifically for this purpose.
