Putin boasts of Ukraine’s gains, says Russia is ready for missile ‘duel’ with West – National

President Vladimir Putin boasted that his military operation in Ukraine has strengthened Russia and denied that the ouster of key ally Bashar Assad in Syria had damaged Moscow’s prestige as he held his annual press conference and convocation on Thursday.

He used the tightly choreographed event, which lasted over four hours, to reinforce his authority and demonstrate a sweeping command over everything from consumer prices to military hardware.

He argued that sending troops into Ukraine in 2022 has strengthened Russia’s military and economic power.

“Russia has become much stronger over the last two or three years because it has become a truly sovereign country,” he said. “We are standing firm in terms of economy, we are strengthening our defense potential and our military capability is now the strongest in the world.”

Putin, who has been in power for nearly a quarter of a century and was re-elected to another six-year term in February, said the military is “making progress towards achieving our goals” in what he calls the special military operation in Ukraine.

Responding to a question about a new hypersonic ballistic missile that Russia used for the first time last month to attack Ukraine, Putin scoffed at claims by some Western experts that it could be intercepted by NATO air defenses.

He mockingly challenged Ukraine’s allies to a “high-tech duel”, suggesting Moscow could give advance notice of an attack on Kiev with the Oreshnik missile and see if the West could protect the city.

“Let them pick a target, possibly in Kiev, place their air defense assets there, and we’ll attack it with the Oreshnik,” he said with a wry smile. “Let’s see what happens.”

Russia is making steady, albeit slow, progress in Ukraine, but has also suffered embarrassing setbacks. On Tuesday, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was killed by a bomb planted outside his apartment building in Moscow – a brazen attack claimed by Ukraine that once again brought the conflict to the streets of the Russian capital.

Putin described Kirillov’s killing as a “big blunder” by Russia’s security agencies and noted that they should learn from it and improve their effectiveness.

Moscow’s troops are also battling Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, where they have launched an incursion. Asked when they would drive the Ukrainians out, Putin said “we will definitely kick them out” but would not say how long it would take.

The show, broadcast live by state-controlled television in Russia’s 11 time zones, is usually dominated by domestic issues, with journalists and ordinary people calling in to ask about skyrocketing consumer prices and mortgages, paltry pensions and a shortage of doctors. But the Russian leader is particularly scrutinized for his answers on foreign affairs.

In a flourish typical of marathon news conferences, he asked audience members to unfurl a banner presented to him by Marines who fought in Kursk as he spoke about Ukraine.

Putin said he was open to possible talks with incoming US President Donald Trump, who has promised to negotiate a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine.

“If we meet with Mr. Trump, we will have things to discuss,” he said without elaborating.

Putin said Russia is open to compromise in potential peace talks on Ukraine.

“Politics is the art of compromise,” he said. “We have always said that we are ready for both negotiations and compromises.” At the same time, Putin added that the negotiations should be based on the “situation on the ground”, referring to some of the conditions he has previously set.

Putin has previously demanded that Ukraine abandon its bid to join NATO and recognize Russia’s gains. Kiev and the West have rejected these demands.

In his first comments on Assad’s fall, Putin said he had not yet met the former Syrian ruler, to whom he has granted asylum in Moscow, but planned to do so. He said he will ask him about Austin Tice, an American journalist who disappeared in Syria 12 years ago.

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“We can also put the question to people who control the situation on the ground in Syria,” Putin said in response to a question from NBC’s Keir Simmons, who cited a letter he said Tice’s mother wrote to the Russian leader seeking help.

Moscow has sought to establish contacts with the rebels who ousted Assad to secure its diplomatic and military personnel in the country and seek to extend the lease on its air and naval bases in the country.

But it is unclear how much influence Russia will have in Syria. Assad’s fall has dealt a painful blow as Russia has struggled for nine years to support him in the country’s civil war.

Still, Putin denied that the events had weakened Moscow, claiming that it has achieved the goal of destroying “terrorist” groups in Syria via an air campaign launched in support of Assad in 2015. He claimed that rebel groups fighting against Assad, has changed and the West is now ready to establish ties with them.

“This means that our goal has been achieved,” Putin said.

He described Israel as the “main beneficiary” of Assad’s downfall and noted the deployment of Israeli troops in southern Syria. He expressed hope that Israel will eventually withdraw these forces, but noted that it is still building them up.

He said Moscow will talk to the new authorities in Syria about possibly expanding the presence of Russian bases in the country.

“If we stay there, we will have to do something in the interest of the host country,” he said, adding that Moscow offered to use its Hemeimeen air base and a naval base in Tartus for the delivery of humanitarian aid. “What those interests could be, what could we do for them, is a question that needs to be thoroughly explored by both parties.”

He noted that the Syrian army offered little resistance to the opposition offensive and said that Russia was flying 4,000 Iranian troops from its Hemeimeem air base to Tehran.

Putin opened the session by saying that Russia’s economy is on track to grow by nearly 4 percent this year. He acknowledged that consumer prices are high with inflation at 9.3 percent, but insisted that the economic situation remains “stable.”

Putin dodged a question about abortion and pornography in Russia, as well as burying the body of Soviet Union founder Vladmir Lenin, which has been on display in a mausoleum in Red Square for nearly a century.

The annual show is as much spectacle as news conference. Journalists in the hall near the Kremlin wave colorful signs and posters to attract Putin’s attention.

Russian state media reported that ordinary citizens submitted more than 2 million questions ahead of the show.