Year-end events in Moscow

President Vladimir Putin's press conference and direct dialogue with the people and the press attracted special attention from the Russian people and global public opinion.

President Vladimir Putin chairs the 2024 year-end press conference on December 19. (Source: Reuters)

According to TASS, the 2024 year-end press conference lasted 4 hours and 27 minutes, with more than 2.4 million questions and messages from domestic and international sources sent directly to the Kremlin leader. President Putin directly answered 76 questions and commented on everything from health care, social welfare to the direction of ending the conflict in Ukraine, Moscow's role in Syria as well as revealing the Kremlin's major directions in 2025.

Since 2001, President Putin has held a year-end press conference and dialogues with the media and the public. Among these, the 2013 online dialogue was the longest, lasting 4 hours and 47 minutes with more than 3 million questions. Previously, in 2008, the Kremlin leader set a record for dialogues with domestic and international journalists, answering more than 100 questions in 4 hours and 40 minutes.

Inside Russia

On the economic front, an area of particular interest to the Russian people, President Putin affirmed that the country remains “stable and sustainable” despite the country continuing to suffer a series of sanctions and a difficult international context. The head of state said that in the past two years, the Russian economy has grown by about 8%, being considered the fourth largest in the world in terms of purchasing power parity and surpassing all European economies . Although inflation is still at an alarming 9.3%, the unemployment rate is at a record low of 2.3%, wages and real incomes are increasing…

However, as Moscow continues to face a more difficult international environment, Mr. Putin said that the country's economic growth will slow down to 2-2.5% in 2025 compared to 4% this year, but this is a "soft" decline to maintain macroeconomic indicators. The above results are primarily thanks to Russia's consolidation of its sovereignty, and domestic producers successfully filling the void left by foreign companies in the market.

Another area that President Putin emphasized at the event was that Russia continues to assert its military power and is increasing significantly in the context of escalating security risks and the risk of conflict with the West. Mr. Putin affirmed that the defense capabilities and combat readiness of the Russian army are currently at the "highest level in the world" while the defense industry is capable of producing everything needed for the army and navy.

The Russian leader particularly praised the new Oreshnik missile, calling it a “purely Russian” weapon that is difficult to intercept by modern air defense systems, including those the West is deploying in Poland.

The appearance of the Oreshnik, according to Mr. Putin, demonstrates a significant development in Moscow's defense capabilities. When asked about the nuclear doctrine, Mr. Putin also emphasized that recent amendments are mainly aimed at countering new threats and affirmed that Russia will not hesitate to use nuclear weapons if its national sovereignty or the existence of Russia and Belarus is threatened.

External appearance

The Kremlin leader particularly appreciated the Russia-China relationship, calling it a relationship of “trust and mutual understanding” at an unprecedented level. Referring to bilateral trade, which has now reached a historic milestone of 220-240 billion USD and continues to grow, Mr. Putin affirmed the increasingly deep integration between the two economies and political systems. Regarding the US, President Putin said he is ready to work with newly elected President Donald Trump and hopes for the possibility of a constructive dialogue between the two sides.

Regarding the Ukraine issue, the Russian leader reaffirmed that Moscow is ready to negotiate peace with Kiev, “as long as it is a legitimate government”. The Russian leader affirmed that Moscow does not need a ceasefire but is aiming for a real and lasting peace when Russia’s vital interests are guaranteed.

Commenting on the recent situation in Syria, President Putin emphasized that Russia has completed its mission in this Middle Eastern country. Moscow continues to contact all forces in the region, maintain its garrison in this country and affirm its stance in support of international law, and quickly re-establish peace in Syria. Regarding the cooperation of the BRICS Group of Emerging Economies, President Putin affirmed that this is not a mechanism to confront Western mechanisms, but only to create development conditions for members on the principle of mutual benefit, mutual respect and consensus. This is what makes BRICS receive increasing attention from countries around the world.

It can be seen that with 2.4 million questions and messages sent to the head of Russia during the dialogue that lasted more than four hours, it shows the great interest of the Russian public and international media in Moscow's policies over the past year, especially in the context of Russia and the world about to enter 2025 with prospects that can completely create new turning points.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/su-kien-cuoi-nam-o-moscow-298617.html