Putin tells Russians at New Year that 'everything will be fine'

Putin Voices Confidence for 2025 in New Year Address, Citing Russia’s Resilience

December 31 (Reuters) – In his annual New Year address, President Vladimir Putin reassured Russians that the country would advance with confidence into 2025, despite not providing specific commitments regarding the economy or the ongoing war in Ukraine.

As everyday citizens grapple with soaring prices and the impact of the central bank’s high 21% interest rate on businesses and homebuyers, Putin emphasized that their well-being remained his top concern. He framed Russia’s current challenges within a broader historical context, recalling past triumphs, particularly its pivotal role in defeating Nazi Germany during World War II.

Speaking from the Kremlin, he declared, “We are confident that everything will be fine; we will only move forward. The fate of Russia and the well-being of its citizens is our highest priority.” His three-and-a-half-minute message was broadcasted at midnight across the nation’s 11 time zones, beginning in Kamchatka and Chukotka in the far east. This year marked exactly 25 years since he first addressed the nation as acting president following Boris Yeltsin’s unexpected resignation on the last day of 1999.

Putin honored Russian soldiers engaged in the war in Ukraine, referring to them as heroes and expressing pride in their courage and bravery. However, he did not provide details regarding the battlefield situation or any potential resolutions to the conflict, particularly in light of Donald Trump’s impending return as U.S. president on January 20, a figure who has indicated he would seek to end the war but without outlining a clear plan.

UKRAINE WAR UPDATE

In 2024, Russian forces made advances in Ukraine at a rate not seen since the war’s inception in 2022, managing to control approximately one-fifth of the country. However, these territorial gains came with significant, though undisclosed, losses in personnel and equipment.

This year was marked by Ukraine’s unexpected incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region on August 6, the first significant invasion of Russian territory since World War II. Despite deploying over 10,000 troops from ally North Korea, Russia has not succeeded in expelling Ukrainian forces from Kursk, a situation that remains unacknowledged by Russian officials.

British security expert Ruth Deyermond pointed out that to continue its slow advances in Ukraine, Russia has chosen to overlook the prolonged occupation of its own territory by Ukrainian troops. “Ignoring the loss of its territory is not typical behavior for a major power, especially one so deeply concerned with state sovereignty,” she stated in a detailed commentary on X (formerly Twitter).

Deyermond noted that Putin’s image of Russia as a major global player is further challenged by the ousting of its key Middle Eastern ally, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and the nation’s increasing reliance on China.

Putin, Russia’s longest-serving leader since Josef Stalin, remarked on December 19 that under his direction, the country had stepped back from “the edge of the abyss” and resisted threats to its sovereignty. Reflecting retrospectively, he admitted that he should have initiated his “special military operation” in Ukraine earlier than February 2022, the phrase he continues to use to describe the extensive invasion of its neighboring country.