I should have invaded Ukraine sooner, Putin told Russians on television

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia should have launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine sooner and been better prepared for war.

At his year-end news conference on Thursday, Putin said with hindsight that there should have been “systematic preparations” for the 2022 invasion, which he called a “special military operation”. .

Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and pro-Russian forces began fighting in eastern Ukraine, but it was eight years later that Putin sought to take Kyiv.

During the four-hour appearance, Putin also spoke about Syria’s deposed leader, Russia’s more aggressive nuclear doctrine and domestic issues.

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

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

He took questions from the public, foreign journalists and pensioners – but it was a carefully choreographed and tightly controlled affair.

When BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg asked at the end whether he felt the country was in better shape than where his predecessor Boris Yeltsin left it 25 years ago, Mr Putin said Russia had regained its “sovereignty”.

“With everything that has happened to Russia before, we are headed towards a complete and utter loss of sovereignty.”

When asked about the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, Mr. Putin insisted that this was not a defeat for the Kremlin – which had militarily supported President Bashar al-Assad for many years – but he acknowledged realize the situation is very “complicated”.

He said he had not yet spoken to Syria’s ousted leader, who fled to Moscow as rebels closed in on Damascus earlier this month, but planned to do so soon.

He added that Russia is negotiating with the new Syrian government to retain 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, Mr. Putin said the two have not spoken for four years but he is willing to meet Mr. Trump “if he wants”.

When placed in a weak position compared to Trump, who will take office in January, Putin quoted American writer Mark Twain: “Rumors about my death have been greatly exaggerated,” causing laughter to ring out in the audience. hall. .

Turning to China, Putin said Russia’s relationship with its eastern neighbor has reached an all-time high and the two countries are coordinating their actions on the world stage.

“Over the past decade, our level and quality [Russia-China] The relationship has reached a level that has never existed throughout our history,” he said.

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

Russian forces are making progress on the front lines “every day”, he said, describing his troops as “heroes”.

At one point, he produced a signed flag that he said was given to him by Russian marines “fighting for the fatherland” in the Kursk region, and asked two observers to keep it’s behind him in front of the camera.

He also mentioned Russia’s construction projects in the areas it occupied from Ukraine, affirming that the quality of roads in the Luhansk region of Ukraine has improved significantly since being destroyed by Russian forces. supported occupation in 2014.

When asked by an audience member whether the West “got the message” about Russia changing its nuclear doctrine. Putin passed in Novemberhe said “you’ll have to ask them.”

The new nuclear doctrine allows Russia to launch a nuclear attack on any country if that country is supported by a nuclear power.

That means if Ukraine were to launch a major attack on Russia using missiles, drones or conventional aircraft, that could meet the criteria for a nuclear response, as would a strike. attack on Belarus or any serious threat to Russian sovereignty.

Putin also highlighted the capabilities of Russia’s new medium-range ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, used in the attack on Ukraine in November.

To test its power, he suggested that Russia should fire Oreshnik towards Ukraine and that Ukrainian air defenses – using systems provided by the US – should try to take it down.

About the name “Oreshnik”? “Honestly,” Putin said with a smirk, “No idea. No clue.”

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 a of the key achievements of his invasion of Ukraine.

He said the economy was “stabilizing”, 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 called the “military industrial complex”.

Throughout the speech, Putin also answered questions about domestic issues – from phone scammers to the struggles of young people getting mortgages.