MOSCOW — Russians sought answers on pressing matters of the economy and whether the end of a nearly four-year war in Ukraine might be in sight, as President Vladimir Putin addressed questions in his marathon year-end conference on Friday — one of his rare direct engagements with the public.
While Putin did say he was ready for peace with Ukraine and would compromise to end the conflict, he still repeated his well-worn lines blaming Kyiv for refusing to end the war — although Russia invaded Ukraine. He also said Ukrainian forces were retreating “in all directions.”
Putin, who has taken a hard line on peace negotiations in recent days, said that Russia was ready for peace — on terms suitable to Moscow that eliminated what the Kremlin calls “the root causes” of the conflict, which would see a Ukraine subservient to its Russian neighbor.
The combined-format event, blending a large news conference with a “Direct Line” call-in from citizens that often runs for four hours, marks Putin’s most significant public address this year. He skipped the traditional state-of-the-nation speech, normally held in the spring.
Putin said that he had told President Donald Trump that Russia was willing to compromise in peace talks when he met him in Alaska in August, although the Russian leader this week insisted that Russia would take more Ukrainian territory — which he called Russia’s “historical lands” — through military force if it failed to gain these through negotiations.
“When I arrived in Anchorage, I said these would not be easy decisions for us. But we agree to the compromises being proposed,” Putin said, adding that “to say that we reject anything is absolutely incorrect and has no basis.”
“The ball is entirely in the court of our opponents, so to speak, and, first and foremost, the leaders of the Kyiv regime and their, in this case, and above all, European sponsors,” Putin said.
During the conference questions from Russians flashed up on screens in the hall, including one that suggested that Russian elections were “a fiction” and another that asked why ordinary Russians lived so badly.
“When you will return the ‘normal internet?’ It’s impossible to even send a question to the president!” one asked. Another asked, “Are you going to nominate yourself to run for president in 2030?”
When the Levada Center independent polling agency asked Russians last month what questions they had for Putin, 21 percent wanted to know when the war would end, and 16 percent wanted to ask when pensions and benefits would increase.
Putin adopted a triumphalist tone in the news conference, boasting that Russia would have new military successes before year’s end.
“I have no doubt that you and I will witness new successes of our armed forces, our troops on the contact line before the end of this year. That’s the plan,” Putin said.
He said that Russians had donated around $1 billion for the war effort, including for drones, and extolled veterans of the war as future leaders of Russian companies, industries, regions and ministries.
“Of course such people need to be gathered, helped, and moved forward. Then we will not be afraid to entrust the fate of the country to them,” he said.
Putin also rolled out a list of statistics to show the economy was doing well, including an unemployment rate of just 2.2 percent and a national debt that he boasted is among the lowest of developed countries. While growth this past year was only 1 percent, he maintained it was deliberate.
“This was done in the course of targeting inflation,” he said. Inflation has dropped from nearly 10 percent down to 5.7 percent, he said. He added that an increase in sales tax on Jan. 1 from 20 percent to 22 percent was needed to balance the budget and would not be permanent.
But in a sign that Western sanctions are taking a real toll on Russia’s economy, questions addressed high prices of chicken and other essential items, as well as a shortage of fish.
“Stop price increases!” said a message from one Russian displayed on the screens in the hall.
“There really isn’t enough fish on people’s tables. We’re not meeting the standard here,” Putin admitted.
A question from a child was read out asking, “Why the pastries in the cafeteria rise but my parents salary does not?”
The press marathon comes amid a burst of diplomatic activity as Trump pushes for a deal to settle the conflict in Ukraine. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected in Miami this weekend for talks with Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s key investment envoy and a central figure in back-channel discussions, Axios and Politico reported.
On Thursday, the Kremlin confirmed Russia is preparing for American contacts to clarify details from recent U.S. consultations with Ukraine and Europeans held in Berlin earlier this week.
Putin’s address comes after European leaders agreed Friday to give Kyiv nearly $105 billion in a loan backed by the bloc’s budget, after the failure of a last-ditch effort to tap Russia’s $246 billion in frozen assets to finance Ukraine’s state and army. Putin called the attempt to tap the assets “open robbery” during the event.
Moscow had stepped up anti-European rhetoric and vowed retaliation against any seizure, warning that without fresh funding, Kyiv’s resources could dry up within months.
The Kremlin said about 3 million questions had been received by Friday, according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Putin’s approval rating remains steady at 84 percent, according to a Levada poll in October and November published last month.
But as the Ukraine war — planned by the Kremlin to last just a few days — approaches its fourth year, war fatigue has set in, with casualties skyrocketing as Russia presses on with limited territorial gains.
More than 65 percent of people surveyed by Levada in mid-November believed it was time for peace talks instead of continued military action, a four-percentage-point increase over the previous month. Tellingly, 55 percent in a separate Levada poll the previous month said they would not want a family member to sign a military contract to fight in Ukraine, 14 percent higher than in May 2023.
According to the recent Levada poll, 65 percent of Russians believe the country is heading in the right direction, down from 74 percent in March, while 21 percent feel Russia is on the wrong path, compared with 16 percent in March.
With Russia’s economy under intense pressure amid sanctions, declining oil prices and high interest rates, dozens of Russian companies have laid off workers or cut wages, while residents grapple with inflation and a rising cost of living. According to the poll, 25 percent said their life had gotten worse in the past year.
In the lead-up to Putin’s question session, residents in villages and towns across Russia recorded videos complaining of local issues: a lack of heating in their homes; terrible roads; public transport failures; odorous smoke from local landfills; and other matters that will probably be featured during the event.
Dixon reported from Riga, Latvia. Natalia Abbakumova in Riga, Latvia contributed to this report.
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