President Putin has mentioned Russia’s conflict targets stay unchanged and there will not be peace in Ukraine till they’re achieved.
He has been taking questions throughout a four-hour phone-in.
The Q&A had been a daily fixture on Russian tv, however did not occur throughout the first 12 months after the invasion in February 2022.
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Mr Putin reiterated his targets have been nonetheless the “de-Nazification, de-militarisation and a neutral status” of Ukraine.
“Peace will come when we reach our goals,” he advised TV viewers and a Moscow studio viewers.
Russia desires to maintain Ukraine from becoming a member of NATO – one thing which might imply Western nations need to immediately assist defend it.
Meanwhile, Mr Putin’s claims of radicals and neo-Nazis being in management in Kyiv have lengthy been derided by the West.
The Russian chief mentioned 617,000 troops, together with 244,000 reservists, have been in Ukraine and claimed the quantity signing up “is not diminishing”.
He claimed one other call-up of beginner reservists – a transfer that noticed some flee Russia final 12 months – wasn’t mandatory as 1,500 males are becoming a member of each day.
Mr Putin additionally mentioned Ukraine’s stalled counteroffensive – which this summer season aimed to win again territory and reduce off Russian provide strains – had “failed everywhere”.
Ukrainian officers have conceded that progress has been disappointing, with solely minor positive factors within the south close to Kherson.
President Putin’s dedication to proceed – regardless of the heavy toll on his forces and difficult worldwide sanctions – comes after he confirmed he is going for re-election once more in March.
It additionally is available in every week that noticed President Zelenskyy of Ukraine on a begging mission to America, pleading along with his allies for billions extra in navy help and support.
There is not any certainty by any means he’ll get it as a result of Republicans within the US House of Representatives are tying continued navy support to Ukraine to home concessions over immigration – one thing the Democrats have to date discovered unpalatable.
Meanwhile, Hungarian president Viktor Orban can be blocking the European Union giving €50bn (£43bn) in monetary support to Kyiv to help it because it continues its battle towards Mr Putin’s troops.
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The 71-year Russian president additionally took a name from a soldier – apparently on the frontline in Ukraine – who advised Mr Putin “victory is close”.
He requested whether or not the president would enable troopers to teach youngsters after the conflict – one thing he agreed to as “very relevant” and patriotic.
‘I might eat a dozen eggs at breakfast’ – Putin
The Kremlin mentioned 2.1 million questions had been submitted to the highly-choreographed TV present.
A query from a pensioner on the rising worth of eggs was among the many extra mundane points the president was quizzed on.
An improve in salaries had pushed up demand, mentioned Mr Putin.
“It’s very popular. I am very happy to eat them, sunny side up. I could eat a dozen of them at breakfast; well, what happened is there was greater demand, however the production did not [increase],” he mentioned.
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Despite the questions being vetted, a few extra awkward messages sometimes popped up on screens.
They included: “Don’t run for another term – let the young try”; “When will the life of ordinary people be better not in words, but in deeds?”; and “A bad peace is better than a good quarrel. We should move in this direction. People’s lives are an unacceptable price.”
Source: information.sky.com”