MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin praised his country’s achievements in a New Year’s Eve speech Tuesday, saying Russians should be “proud” of what Russia had done during his quarter century in power.
The address, delivered exactly 25 years since he took over from predecessor Boris Yeltsin, did not explicitly mention the nearly three-year conflict in Ukraine and focused mostly on wishes for the year ahead.
“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.
“Now, on the threshold of a new year, we are thinking about the future. We are sure that everything will be all right. We will only go forward.”
The address comes at a pivotal moment in the nearly three-year conflict, with Russia steadily advancing on the battlefield and US President-elect Donald Trump promising a speedy ceasefire once he takes office.
Putin was named acting president on New Year’s Eve in 1999, when predecessor Boris Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned and apologised for the country’s post-Soviet turmoil in a speech that stunned Russians.
The televised New Year’s Eve speech, which continues a tradition started by Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, is a holiday staple in Russia and watched in millions of households.
It is aired on state TV just before midnight in each of Russia’s 11 time zones, and is usually a short summary of events of the past year as well as wishes for the year ahead.
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