Russia Believes Victory in Ukraine Possible by New Years Eve

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made comments during his annual New Year’s Eve address, stating that his country believes it will win the war in Ukraine. This comes nearly four years after Russia launched an invasion of the neighboring nation in February 2022.

Putin called on Russians to support the troops fighting in Ukraine, where intense fighting continues despite ongoing peace negotiations. The Russian leader expressed confidence in the outcome of the conflict, saying “we believe in you and our victory.”

The address took place 26 years after Putin’s predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, announced his resignation during a New Year’s Eve address in 1996, handing power to Putin. Since then, Putin has reshaped Russia in his image and made references to Soviet leader Josef Stalin.

Earlier this week, Russia’s defense ministry released a video claiming to show a downed drone involved in an attempted Ukrainian attack on one of Putin’s residences in Novgorod. However, Ukraine denies the claim, accusing Moscow of fabricating it as a false flag attempt to justify further aggression.

The Russian government has stated that the alleged attack was thwarted when 91 drones were shot down by air defenses, and no one was injured or damaged at Putin’s residence. The video shows a damaged drone in a forested area, but its authenticity has been questioned by Ukraine’s Western allies.

In response to the alleged attack, Russia has said it will take a harder line in US-brokered peace negotiations over Ukraine. The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has accused Russia of trying to derail peace talks with “unfounded claims.”

Source: Al Jazeera