I should have invaded Ukraine earlier, – Putin tells Russians in a telethon

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia should have launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine earlier and been better prepared for war.

At his year-end press conference on Thursday, Putin said in retrospect that there should have been “systematic preparation” for the 2022 invasion, which he calls a “special military operation.”

Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014 and pro-Russian forces began a conflict in eastern Ukraine, but eight years later Putin tried to seize Kyiv.

During his four-hour speech, Putin also addressed Syria’s ousted leader, Russia’s more aggressive nuclear doctrine, and domestic issues such as the price of oil.

The event, billed as “Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin,” was broadcast live on the main state television channels on Thursday.

Putin appeared in front of a large blue screen decorated with a map of the Russian Federation with annexed parts of Ukraine.

He answered questions from members of the public, foreign journalists and pensioners – but it was a highly choreographed and tightly controlled affair.

Asked by the BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg whether he thought the country was in a better state than the one left by its predecessor Boris Yeltsin 25 years ago, Putin said Russia had regained its “sovereignty”.

“With everything that happened to Russia before that, we were heading for a complete, total loss of sovereignty.”

Asked about the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, Putin insisted it was not a defeat for the Kremlin, which has backed President Bashar al-Assad militarily for years, but he acknowledged the situation was “complex.”

He said he had not yet spoken to the ousted Syrian leader, who fled to Moscow as rebel forces closed in on Damascus earlier this month, but planned to do so soon.

He added that Russia is negotiating with Syria’s new leaders to keep two strategically important military bases on the Mediterranean coast and that Moscow will consider using them for humanitarian purposes.

Regarding US President-elect Donald Trump, Putin said they haven’t spoken in four years, but he is ready to meet with him “if he wants it.”

When put to him, in a weak position compared to Trump, who is due to take office in January, Putin quoted American author Mark Twain: “The rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated,” prompting laughter in the conference room. .

Turning to China, Putin said that Russia’s relations with its eastern neighbor have reached the highest level and both countries are coordinating actions on the world stage.

“In the last decade, the level and quality of our (Russian-Chinese) relations have reached a level that has not been seen in our entire history,” he said.

A long part of the session focused on the war in Ukraine, with Putin saying he was “open to compromises” to end the war – although it was unclear what such compromises might entail.

Russian troops are advancing on the front line “every day,” he said, calling his troops “heroes.”

He once pulled out a signed flag, which he said had been given to him by Russian marines who “fought for the Motherland” in Kursk Oblast, and had two onlookers hold it behind him for the cameras.

He also spoke about Russia’s construction projects in areas it has seized in Ukraine, saying that road conditions in Ukraine’s Luhansk region have improved significantly since it was seized by Russian-backed forces in 2014.

When asked by an audience member whether the West had “got the message” about Russia changing its nuclear doctrine, Putin pushed it through in Novemberhe said “you have to ask them”.

The new nuclear doctrine allows Russia to launch a nuclear attack on any country if a nuclear power is behind it.

This means that if Ukraine launched a major strike against Russia with conventional missiles, drones or aircraft, it could meet the criteria for a nuclear response, as would an attack on Belarus or any critical threat to Russian sovereignty.

Putin also focused on the capabilities of Russia’s new Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile, which was used to strike Ukraine in November.

To test his power, he proposed that Russia fire at Ukraine from the Oreshnik, and Ukrainian air defenses – with the help of US-supplied systems – should try to shoot him down.

What about the name “Hazelnut”? “Honestly,” said Putin, grinning, “I have no idea.”

The dominant theme throughout the event was “Russian sovereignty,” with Putin claiming that less dependence on international partners — partly as a result of Western sanctions — was one of the key achievements of his invasion of Ukraine.

He said the economy was “stable”, pointing to higher growth than countries such as Germany, but admitted inflation of 9.1% was “alarming”.

In fact, the economy is overheating and heavily dependent on military production – sometimes referred to as the “military-industrial complex”.

Throughout the address, Putin also answered questions on domestic political topics – from phone scams to the difficulties of young people in getting a mortgage.