[Russian President Vladimir Putin put a positive spin on a spate of recent setbacks Thursday, insisting that Russia had accomplished its mission in Syria and was winning the war in Ukraine. At an annual Q&A session, Putin emphasized Russia’s recent gains in the war of attrition in Ukraine.
Putin also nodded to the sea change expected in Washington, saying he had not spoken to US President-elect Donald Trump in over four years, but was “ready” for potential talks with him, amid expectations that the new administration in Washington will push for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine.
Putin insisted that Russia’s actions in Ukraine were justified, saying that “Movement is going on along the entire front line, every day” and that Russian forces were taking and returning territory in square kilometers. He also downplayed the idea that Russia would be in a weakened position in any potential negotiations with the Trump administration, saying that Russia had become “much stronger” over the past two or three years.
Putin also touched on the death of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s nuclear, biological, and chemical protections forces, who was killed in a targeted attack in Moscow on Tuesday. Putin condemned the killing as a “terrorist act” carried out by Ukraine.
In response to a question about the US election, Putin said he was “ready” for a meeting with Trump, but had not spoken to him in over four years. He also cast doubt on whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could account for the disappearance of American journalist Austin Tice, who went missing in Syria in 2012.
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