Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that there will be no peace with Ukraine until Russia’s aims, which have not changed since the beginning of the war, have been accomplished.
Putin appeared at an end-of-year press conference that allowed Western reporters to attend for the first time since the war began in February 2022, alleging that Russia’s goals include the “de-Nazification, de-militarization and a neutral status” of Ukraine, per the Associated Press.
The goal of “de-Nazification” refers to Russian claims that the Ukrainian government is influenced by neo-Nazi groups and nationalists, according to Fox News.
This was the first time since the beginning of the war that Putin has held such a press conference, as the Kremlin canceled the event last year after Russia announced a mass mobilization that prompted many men to flee the country, as reported by The Guardian.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has so far reportedly resulted in at least 24,500 Ukrainian deaths, with another 15,000 troops reported missing, according to Reuters.
While the exact death toll for Russian troops is currently unknown, a declassified U.S. intelligence report claims that roughly 90% of Russian personnel sent into Ukraine have been killed or injured, per Reuters.
Putin claimed there has been “an improvement in the position of our troops all along” the front line.
“The enemy has declared a big counteroffensive, but he hasn’t achieved anything anywhere,” he said, per the AP.
Putin also claimed that Ukraine relies solely on the support of other countries, adding that “the freebies may end at some point, and apparently it’s coming to an end little by little.”
“Ukraine today produces nearly nothing, they are trying to preserve something, but they don’t produce practically anything themselves and bring everything in for free,” he said, according to the AP.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to request more aid from the United States to help support his country’s war effort, stating that “Ukrainians haven’t given up and won’t give up.”
“Every one of you with command experience knows what it means when instead of moving forward, you’re just watching, waiting for armor or equipment while your enemy is satisfied and preparing for assaults,” said Zelenskyy while speaking at the National Defense University, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
One of the biggest topics discussed by Putin concerned two U.S. citizens, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and businessman Paul Whelan, who are being held captive in Russia.
Putin said that the two sides have remained in contact and are attempting to arrange an agreement to return the two U.S. citizens to their home country.
“We want to reach an agreement, and these agreements must be mutually acceptable and must suit both parties,” he said, per The Guardian.
However, Russia reportedly rejected a “substantial” offer from the United States that would have involved a swap of prisoners.
