Putin sees shortfalls in Kirillov killing, but not in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Thursday that he was "prepared to compromise" over the ongoing war in Ukraine, while alleging that Kyiv was not, or at least had not been so far.

Meanwhile, at around the same time in Brussels, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy leveled similar charges in Putin's direction.

Almost three years on from Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor, the so-called "special military operation" once again dominated Putin's annual December news conference, televised live from the Kremlin over the course of some four-and-a-half hours on Thursday.

But the Russian leader also answered questions on the state of his country's economy, the imminent return to office of US President-elect Donald Trump, the assassination of one of the Russian army's top generals in Moscow this week, the toppling of his ally Bashar Assad in Syria, and other issues.

On the war in Ukraine

The Russian leader said Moscow would be prepared to compromise for a long-lasting peace with Ukraine — but not a temporary truce which he said would only allow Kyiv to replenish its dwindling stocks of weapons and ammunition. He also said Ukraine would have to compromise in turn.

"Our army is advancing, the enemy is unable to hold its positions," Putin said. "Ukraine is being exhausted of its military equipment. If we stop, the enemy could resupply."

Russian forces have been slowly but steadily advancing in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, laying siege to strategically important towns such as Pokrovsk, Chasiv Yar, Kreminna and Kupiansk — but also taking considerable losses in the process.

"We are getting closer to the main objectives we set ourselves at the start of the special military operation," Putin claimed — even with thousands of Ukrainian troops still desperately holding captured territory in the Russian border region of Kursk.

"They will definitely be expelled," Putin said, albeit without specifying a time frame. "Everything will be done."

In a veiled admission that his original "special military operation" hadn't gone entirely to plan back in February 2022, Putin suggested Russia had been inadequately prepared.

"We started the events of 2022 without any preparation," he said. "If we knew earlier what would happen, there would have been a more systemic preparation."

On Zelenskyy

While Putin said he would be prepared to negotiate, he said he wouldn't do so with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who he claimed was no longer a legitimate leader since his term in office has technically ended.

Zelenskyy's elected term in office ended in May 2024 but, with large swathes of Ukraine under occupation, new presidential elections have been postponed under martial law.

On Trump

Putin said he would, however, be prepared to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump, while not necessarily treating this scenario as likely.

"I don't know when I'm going to see him. He isn't saying anything about it. I haven't talked to him in more than four years. I am ready for it, of course. Any time," Putin said.

"If we ever have a meeting with President-elect Trump, I am sure we'll have a lot to talk about," he added, repeating that Russia was ready for "negotiations and compromises."

Threatening an 'Oreshnik experiment' in Kyiv

Putin boasted that western air-defense systems would be incapable of intercepting Russia's new medium-range hypersonic "Oreshnik" missile — a missile which can be equipped with a nuclear warhead and was fired at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November, causing limited damage.

"There is no chance of shooting down these missiles," Putin claimed, before grinning and challenging Ukraine's western backers to what he termed a "high-tech 21st-century duel."

"Let them select a target, possibly in Kyiv, put their air defense assets there and we shall strike it with the Oreshnik," he smirked. "Let's see what happens."

On the assassination of senior General Kirillov in Moscow

Putin also appeared to concede shortcomings, just a few days after the general in charge of Russia's nuclear, chemical and biological defense forces, Igor Kirillov, was assassinated in the Russian capital. 

"Our special services are missing these hits. They missed these hits. It means we need to improve this work. We must not allow such very serious blunders to happen," Putin said, with Kirillov perhaps the highest profile of a series of attacks on Kremlin-backers inside Russia during the war with Ukraine. 

On the collapse of his ally Assad's regime in Syria

Putin said that he had yet to meet deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad since he was granted asylum in Moscow, but that he planned to. 

He dismissed the notion that the sudden collapse of Assad's regime, after years of Moscow's military propping it up, reflected poorly on Russia. 

"They want to pass off the events in Syria as a defeat for Russia. I assure you, that is not the case," he said. 

"We went to Syria to prevent the emergence of a terrorist enclave there. By and large, we achieved our goal. And the groups that were there have changed," he said.

On the struggling Russian economy

The 72-year-old insisted Russia's economy remained stable, even as inflation creeps up towards 10% despite the central bank having imposed the highest interest rates, 21%, seen since Russia's last economic collapses.

"With the economy as a whole, the situation in Russia is stable, despite external threats," he said, before conceding, "inflation is a worrying signal." 

"The thing that is unpleasant and bad is the rise in prices. But I hope that if macroeconomic indicators are maintained, we will be able to cope with it," he said.

Russia's central bank will meet, with another interest rate hike anticipated, for the last time this calendar year on Friday.

mf/msh (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)