ET Online |
President Vladimir Putin told Russians in a New Year address that the country would move forward with confidence in 2025, though he offered no specific promises on the economy or the war in Ukraine. At a time when many ordinary people are worried about rising prices and the central bank’s 21% interest rate is squeezing businesses and homebuyers, Putin reassured Russians that their wellbeing was his top priority. He framed Russia’s challenges as part of a wider historic mission, evoking past victories including its role in the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two. Russia, he said, had overcome trials, achieved major goals and strengthened its unity in the first quarter of the 21st century – a period coinciding exactly with his time as its paramount leader. His three-and-a-half-minute seasonal message from the Kremlin was being broadcast at midnight in each of Russia’s 11 time zones, starting with Kamchatka and Chukotka in the far east. He was speaking exactly 25 years since he first addressed the nation as its acting president after Boris Yeltsin resigned unexpectedly on the last day of 1999. Putin, 72, paid tribute to Russian soldiers fighting in the war in Ukraine, describing them as heroes. “We are proud of your courage and bravery. We believe in you,” he said. He made no specific reference to the situation on the battlefield or the prospects for an end to the conflict after Donald Trump returns as U.S. president on Jan. 20. Trump has said he will swiftly stop the war, without providing details.
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