(ConservativeHub.com) – Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his prerecorded annual end-of-year speech, stated that his country would “never back down.” The speech was broadcast in every time zone in the country right before midnight in anticipation of the new year.
In his address, which spanned only four minutes making it shorter than usual, Putin noted the importance of national unity. According to AFP, he stated that the country has repeatedly shown that they can solve even the hardest problems and that there was nothing that could “separate us.” While Putin did not make any specific comments about Ukraine in his speech, the the two-year-long war was a “central theme,” according to The Hill.
Putin proceeded to praise the country’s citizens, noting that they were united and that they had a “deep understanding” of how important this time would be for Russia historically. He added that through this time, they continued to have “solidarity, mercy, and fortitude.” He also praised those who were fighting in the Ukraine and stated that the whole country was “proud” of the heroes who were fighting for them. In addition, he said the soldiers could “feel” the support of all the people.
The AFP news agency noted that there were no mentions of the deadly shelling in Belgorod the previous day which had led to 108 people being injured, and another 24 being killed.
The AP also pointed out that the celebrations were kept at a lower scale this year, with both the Req Square concert and fireworks being canceled this year, as they had been last year. Other cities also canceled the fireworks following the attack on Belgorod.
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