Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a major press conference on Thursday that Russia has not abandoned its goals in Ukraine and there will be no peace until they are achieved, as EU leaders gather to discuss a significant support package for Kyiv and whether to begin formal membership talks for the country to join the union.
Key Facts
“There will be peace when we achieve our goals,” Putin said at his annual press conference and call-in session, the first since Russia launched its invasion in 2022.
This massive event, which was canceled last year, typically lasts several hours and provides a rare opportunity for journalists to ask direct questions of the Russian leader and allows members of the public to connect with him on their own questions.
Putin reiterated long-standing talking points that motivate his war in Ukraine, with key objectives including the need to “recruit” Ukraine, eliminate Nazis (a widely debunked narrative as propaganda), ensure Kyiv remains neutral, and abandon its hopes of joining NATO.
While Moscow has always insisted that its war in Ukraine is a “special military operation,” Putin described the endeavor as a “civil war” and claimed that Russians and Ukrainians are, at their core, “one people.”
The leader dismissed the possibility of a second drafting campaign to bring more troops into the army, explaining that “there is no need for that” after the success of the first wave.
He said about 617,000 Russian soldiers are currently fighting in Ukraine, nearly double the Russian army’s size at the start of the war, according to the Telegraph.
What We Don’t Know
Neither Russia nor Ukraine publicly disclose their military casualties. By revealing the number of Russians fighting in Ukraine at the moment, Putin provided an indication of Russia’s losses. He stated that around 300,000 people were called up for service last year and nearly 500,000 people volunteered. Reports suggest that the initial Russian force consisted of about 360,000 troops. The figures roughly align with U.S. intelligence reports released this week, which estimate that Russia has lost over 300,000 soldiers since the war began.
What to Watch For
As Putin speaks in Moscow, EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss Kyiv’s future with the bloc and the possibility of a significant support package worth about $55 billion. Like in the United States, the decision to provide further large sums to Ukraine has sparked debate. Particularly, Viktor Orbán, the far-right nationalist and Putin’s biggest ally in the bloc, has threatened to obstruct proceedings. Since key matters in the EU, such as membership and budgets, must be decided unanimously, Budapest could hinder the bloc’s support for Kyiv, which is deemed increasingly critical especially with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent failure to secure U.S. aid.
Future Reading
As Putin speaks in Moscow, EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss Kyiv’s future with the bloc and the possibility of a significant support package worth about $55 billion. Like in the United States, the decision to provide further large sums to Ukraine has sparked debate. Particularly, Viktor Orbán, the far-right nationalist and Putin’s biggest ally in the bloc, has threatened to obstruct proceedings. Since key matters in the EU, such as membership and budgets, must be decided unanimously, Budapest could hinder the bloc’s support for Kyiv, which is deemed increasingly critical especially with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent failure to secure U.S. aid.
Future Reading
As Putin speaks in Moscow, EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss Kyiv’s future with the bloc and the possibility of a significant support package worth about $55 billion. Like in the United States, the decision to provide further large sums to Ukraine has sparked debate. Particularly, Viktor Orbán, the far-right nationalist and Putin’s biggest ally in the bloc, has threatened to obstruct proceedings. Since key matters in the EU, such as membership and budgets, must be decided unanimously, Budapest could hinder the bloc’s support for Kyiv, which is deemed increasingly critical especially with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent failure to secure U.S. aid.
Reading
Future Reading
While Putin speaks in Moscow, European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss Kyiv’s future with the bloc and the possibility of a major support package worth around $55 billion. As in the United States, the decision to grant more large sums to Ukraine has sparked controversy. In particular, Viktor Orban, the far-right nationalist and Putin’s biggest ally in the bloc, has threatened to block the measures. Given that key matters in the EU, such as membership and budgets, must be decided unanimously, Budapest can obstruct the bloc’s support for Kyiv, which is considered more crucial, especially with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent failure to secure American aid.
Future Reading
While Putin speaks in Moscow, European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss Kyiv’s future with the bloc and the possibility of a major support package worth around $55 billion. As in the United States, the decision to grant more large sums to Ukraine has sparked controversy. In particular, Viktor Orban, the far-right nationalist and Putin’s biggest ally in the bloc, has threatened to block the measures. Given that key matters in the EU, such as membership and budgets, must be decided unanimously, Budapest can obstruct the bloc’s support for Kyiv, which is considered more crucial, especially with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent failure to secure American aid.
Future Reading
While Putin speaks in Moscow, European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss Kyiv’s future with the bloc and the possibility of a major support package worth around $55 billion. As in the United States, the decision to grant more large sums to Ukraine has sparked controversy. In particular, Viktor Orban, the far-right nationalist and Putin’s biggest ally in the bloc, has threatened to block the measures. Given that key matters in the EU, such as membership and budgets, must be decided unanimously, Budapest can obstruct the bloc’s support for Kyiv, which is considered more crucial, especially with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent failure to secure American aid.
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