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In New Year speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin says ‘everything will be fine’, mum on economy, Ukraine war
“Dear friends, in just a few minutes 2025 will be ushered in, completing the first quarter of the 21st century,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in the televised remarks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted his countrymen with a bouquet of confidence as the country moves into 2025 but offered no specific promises on the economy or the war in Ukraine.
Putin was speaking exactly 25 years since he took over from predecessor Boris Yeltsin. He did not explicitly mention the nearly three-year conflict in Ukraine and focused mostly on wishes for the year ahead.
Putin reassured Russians that their well-being was his top priority. His statement came at a time when ordinary Russians were battling price rises as the central bank's 21% interest rate squeezed businesses and homebuyers.
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.
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.
"And now, on the threshold of the new year, we are thinking about the future. We are confident that everything will be fine, we will only move forward. We know for sure that the absolute value for us was, is and will be the fate of Russia, the well-being of its citizens," Putin was quoted by news agency AFP as saying.
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 US president on Jan. 20. Trump has said he will swiftly stop the war, without providing details.
"Dear friends, in just a few minutes 2025 will be ushered in, completing the first quarter of the 21st century," Putin said in the televised remarks.
"Yes, we still have a lot to decide but we can be rightfully proud of what has already been done," the Kremlin chief added, saying the 25 years had paved the way for "further development".
He also praised Russia's soldiers, a theme echoed in his previous New Year's addresses since his full-scale military assault on Ukraine began in February 2022.
"On this New Year's Eve, the thoughts, hopes of relatives and friends, millions of people across Russia are together with our fighters and commanders," Putin said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Business NewsNewsWorldIn New Year speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin says ‘everything will be fine’, mum on economy, Ukraine war
First Published:1 Jan 2025, 06:33 AM IST
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