Putin’s stubborn presser on the war in Ukraine, ties with Trump’s U.S., and the missing American journalist—heavy on angry language.
- Putin says that Russia is not in a “weaker position” and is ready to meet with Trump.
- Says its missiles can’t be stopped and gives Ukraine a “duel” test.
Russia’s war on Ukraine took up most of the first part of President Vladimir Putin’s yearly long press conference, which showed how stubborn he is about the conflict and how he plans to work with the new U.S. government.
Putin said, “You would very much like Russia to be in a weakened position, but I hold a different point of view” when asked about dealing with President-elect Donald Trump when Russia was in a “weaker position.”
• Putin is ready to meet with Trump, even though they haven’t talked in four years, and he said that Western defenses can’t stop Russia’s Oreshnik rocket.
• A “duel” to test a rocket against Ukraine’s air defenses was suggested.
When Putin talked about the current war in Ukraine, his angry comments made things even worse. He talked a lot about how powerful the Oreshnik rocket was and said that Western technology “stands no chance” against it.
• A planned target for attack in Kyiv to see how well Ukraine’s air defenses work
• Says the possible test is “interesting for us.”
Along with his angry words, Putin talked about the case of Austin Tice, a missing American writer who went missing in Syria 12 years ago.
Putin promised to bring up the problem since Bashar Assad, the former president of Syria, is now living in exile in Russia.
“I promise that I will definitely ask this question,” he said. People who control the situation and can affect the outcome can also answer my questions about a variety of topics.