{"id":138909,"date":"2024-12-19T21:38:08","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T14:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=138909"},"modified":"2024-12-19T21:38:08","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T14:38:08","slug":"putin-boasts-of-gains-in-ukraine-at-annual-news-conference-meant-to-reinforce-his-authority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=138909","title":{"rendered":"Putin boasts of gains in Ukraine at annual news conference meant to reinforce his authority"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>MOSCOW (AP) \u2014 President Vladimir Putin boasted that his military operation in Ukraine has strengthened Russia and denied that the ouster of key ally Bashar Assad in Syria had hurt Moscow\u2019s prestige, as he held his annual news conference and call-in show Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>He used <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/putin-russia-press-conference-moscow-ukraine-ef4e88fda50e6ad75b8a1979b95d9fcc\">the tightly choreographed event<\/a><\/span>, which lasted for about 4 1\/2 hours, to reinforce his authority and demonstrate a sweeping command of everything from consumer prices to military hardware.<\/p>\n<p>He claimed that sending troops into Ukraine in 2022 has boosted Russia\u2019s military and economic power. He also said that if he could go back in time, he \u201cwould have thought that such a decision should have been made earlier,\u201d and Russia should have \u201cprepared for it in advance and more thoroughly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRussia has become much stronger over the past two or three years because it has become a truly sovereign country,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are standing firm in terms of economy, we are strengthening our defense potential and our military capability now is the strongest in the world.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Putin, who has held power <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-election-putin-2024-updates-d4dcaa5c93dc44b745cec7d811831daa\">for nearly a quarter-century<\/a><\/span> and <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-putin-president-inauguration-ukraine-355bd36a2e833800187af848dc24a7dc\">began another six-year term<\/a><\/span> earlier this year, said the military was \u201cadvancing toward achieving our goals\u201d in what he calls the special military operation in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>In response to a question about a <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-icbm-attackddnipro-38b0faf6eed2cef98bdbc9be18f58244\">new hypersonic ballistic missile<\/a><\/span> that Russia used for the first time last month to strike Ukraine, Putin scoffed at claims by some Western experts that it could be intercepted by NATO\u2019s air defenses.<\/p>\n<p>He mockingly challenged Ukraine\u2019s allies to a \u201chigh-tech duel,\u201d suggesting that Moscow could give advance notice of a strike on Kyiv with the Oreshnik missile and see if the West could protect the city.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet them select a target, possibly in Kyiv, put their air defense assets there and we shall strike it with the Oreshnik,\u201d he said with a dry smile. \u201cLet\u2019s see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Putin calls general\u2019s killing a security \u2018blunder\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Russia is making steady, if slow, advances in Ukraine, but has also suffered embarrassing setbacks. On Tuesday, <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-explosion-head-of-nuclear-defense-forces-killed-9656bce946a9f552454df9debe5fbd18\">Lt. Gen Igor Kirillov was killed<\/a><\/span> by a bomb planted outside his apartment building in Moscow \u2014 a brazen assassination claimed by Ukraine that brought the conflict once again to the streets of the Russian capital.<\/p>\n<p>Putin described Kirillov\u2019s killing as a \u201cmajor blunder\u201d of Russia\u2019s security agencies, noting they should learn from it and improve their efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>Moscow\u2019s troops are also battling Ukrainian forces in the Russian region of Kursk, where they have launched an incursion. Asked when they would drive the Ukrainians out, Putin said \u201cwe will certainly kick them out\u201d but wouldn\u2019t say how long it would take.<\/p>\n<p>The show, which is broadcast live by state-controlled TV across Russia\u2019s 11 time zones, usually is dominated by domestic issues, with journalists and ordinary citizens calling in to ask about soaring consumer prices and mortgages, paltry pensions and shortage of doctors. But the Russian leader is particularly watched for his answers on foreign affairs.<\/p>\n<p>In a flourish typical of the marathon news conferences, he asked members of the audience to unfurl a banner presented to him by marines fighting in Kursk as he spoke about Ukraine.<\/p>\n<h2>Open to talks on Ukraine but reiterates Russia\u2019s demands<\/h2>\n<p>Putin said he was open to possible talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to negotiate a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we meet with Mr. Trump, we will have things to discuss,\u201d he said, without elaborating.<\/p>\n<p>Putin said Russia is open for compromise in potential peace talks on Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPolitics is the art of compromise,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have always said that we are ready for both talks and compromises.\u201d At the same time, Putin added that the talks should be based on \u201cthe situation on the ground\u201d referring to some of the conditions he previously laid out.<\/p>\n<p>Putin has previously demanded that Ukraine renounce its bid to join NATO and recognize Russia\u2019s gains. Kyiv and the West have rejected those demands.<\/p>\n<h2>Putin says he\u2019ll ask Assad about missing American<\/h2>\n<p>In his first comments on <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/syria-bashar-assad-war-1468a97ff95bb782f5933856d99c9a8d\">Assad\u2019s downfall<\/a><\/span>, Putin said that he hadn\u2019t yet met the former Syrian ruler, whom he has given asylum in Moscow, but plans to. He said he will ask him about <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/syria-biden-austin-tice-bee5a5547a63e95eea5b75366d208f16\">Austin Tice<\/a><\/span>, an American journalist who vanished in Syria 12 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe also can pose the question to people who control the situation on the ground in Syria,\u201d Putin said, responding to a question from NBC\u2019s Keir Simmons, who cited a letter he said Tice\u2019s mother wrote to the Russian leader seeking assistance.<\/p>\n<p>Moscow has sought to establish contacts with the rebels who ousted Assad to secure its diplomatic and military personnel in the country and try to extend the lease on its air and naval bases in the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we stay there, we will need to do something in the interests of the host country,\u201d he said, adding that Moscow offered to use its Hemeimeen air base and a naval base in Tartus for humanitarian aid deliveries. \u201cWhat those interests could be, what could we do for them is an issue to be thoroughly examined by both parties.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s unclear how much influence Russia will have in Syria. Assad\u2019s fall has dealt it a painful blow since Russia has fought for nine years to prop him up in the country\u2019s civil war.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Putin denied the events had weakened Moscow, arguing it achieved its goal of destroying \u201cterrorist\u201d groups in Syria via an air campaign launched in support of Assad in 2015. He claimed that rebel groups that were fighting Assad have changed and the West is ready to establish ties with them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat means that our goals have been achieved,\u201d Putin said.<\/p>\n<p>He described Israel as the \u201cmain beneficiary\u201d of Assad\u2019s downfall, noting the deployment of Israeli troops in southern Syria. He voiced hope that Israel will eventually withdraw those forces but noted it is still building them up.<\/p>\n<p>He noted the Syrian army offered little resistance to the opposition offensive and said Russia flew 4,000 Iranian troops from its Hemeimeem air base to Tehran.<\/p>\n<p>Putin began the session by saying that Russia\u2019s economy is on track to grow by nearly 4% this year. He acknowledged that consumer prices are high, with inflation at 9.3%, but insisted that the economic situation remains \u201cstable.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Putin declines to criticize Biden over pardon of his son<\/h2>\n<p>Putin dodged a question about abortion and pornography in Russia, as well as burying the body of Soviet Union founder Vladmir Lenin, which has been displayed in a mausoleum on Red Square for nearly a century.<\/p>\n<p>Asked about President Joe Biden\u2019s <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525\">decision to pardon his son, Hunter<\/a><\/span>, to spare him a possible prison sentence for felony gun and tax convictions, Putin said he wouldn\u2019t criticize the U.S. leader.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs for Biden, he\u2019s a politician, and it\u2019s always important which side prevails: political or human,\u201d he said. \u201cIt turned out that there was more human in Biden. I wouldn\u2019t condemn him for this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The annual show is as much spectacle as news conference. Journalists in the hall near the Kremlin wave colorful signs and placards to attract Putin\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n<p>Russian state media reported that ordinary citizens submitted more than 2 million questions ahead of the show.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>\n  window.fbAsyncInit = function() {\n      FB.init({\n              appId : '870613919693099',\n          xfbml : true,\n          version : 'v2.9'\n      });\n  };\n  (function(d, s, id){\n     var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n     if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;}\n     js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\n     js.src = \"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\";\n     fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n   }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-putin-press-conference-ukraine-trump-9eab438ab3eb8f9149a6dc5b67d20d86\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MOSCOW (AP) \u2014 President Vladimir Putin boasted that his military operation in Ukraine has strengthened Russia and denied that the ouster of key ally Bashar Assad in Syria had hurt &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=138909\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-138909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-world","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=138909"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138909\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=138909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=138909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=138909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}